Making music out of an inaudible source sounds like something out of The Onion, but Point of Memory has managed to make this possible on their their latest, Void Pusher. By sending inaudible bass frequencies through a room filled with acoustic instruments, they were able to capture the bass frequencies' interaction with the instruments and record the resulting vibrations and reactions. And when even this was inaudible, they ran the recorded results through amplifiers and discovered the hidden sounds within. Mixing and editing this source material with the audible results led to a fantastic and intriguing album in Void Pusher. Much like the infinite series of numbers between each and every number, this approach to composition serves to remind us that silence doesn't really exist, outside of locally. What is perceived as silence is full of frequencies outside of the range of the listener and this is realized due to the work of artists like Point of Memory. It is interesting to think of how this approach would revitalize works like "4'33," as the subtle vibrations from the pianist, the room, the crowd, etc, would cause some movement of the strings or get captured inside the piano body itself. To amplify this in such a way as Void Pusher would reveal an entirely hidden world.

 

While Void Pusher in words feels like it would be a very minimal work, the mixing and editing of the frequencies and acoustic instrument was skillfully crafted to create an ambient collage that has a strong, natural presence. Lush pianos, French horns, and other instruments add wonderful dimension to the album and brighten up some of the darker aspects of the void. In addition to this, Point of Memory also pushes in the other direction, with some crispy, fiery noise weaved throughout. Keeping the balance, these aspects are well in control and help to flesh out the tracks and their scope instead of running loose and taking over the sonic landscape. 

 

Describing an album in words can only go so far. Reading Point of Memory's statement about Void Pusher creates a lot of intrigue, but cannot be fully understood until it's heard (naturally). Often times an ambitious project has trouble living up to its thesis, but that isn't the case with Void Pusher. While it's an excellent album on its own, knowing the recording process and concept behind it gives it an additional boost and depth, spurring the listener to dig deeper into the layers and make themselves part of the experience. Rich, full, and enticing, Void Pusher is a real treat for those seeking more from their ambient listening sessions. To find out more