R4 (aka Ohio-based Barry D. Scheffel ) is a project that sits somewhere between ambient, noise, and subtle field recording manipulation.  Rainmaker is a three-track/three-inch CDR, which moves between brooding/ droning uneasy, and pared-back ambient/ field recording scaping.

The release appears on Tampa, Florida Inner Demons Records- which I’d say is one of the more active/ prolific labels releasing physical production in the noise/ ambient/experimental spheres.  The 3-inch CDR comes presented in a mini clear sleeve, which features numbered/half-folded over artwork which takes grey ‘n’ black-like ripples. The release can be found here. 

R4 has been active since 1999, and by noise standards is fairly un-prolific- with only eight albums, and four singles/ EP to its name. This release is my first taster of the project's work, and I must say I found it an engaging release- embedded with a nice sense of eerie mystery & disquieting unease.

Each of the tracks has runtimes between five and nine minutes. We open up with “Rainmaker 1”. Here we find a slowly fading in mix of purring/ drilling tone(possibly a synth or some sort of machine drone), lightly swirling/ hazed textural swirl ‘n’ buffet, and just heard bird song/ field recording detail. The track has a good feeling of menace/ mystery about it- which builds well over the track's length.

Next is “Rainmaker 2” here we find the sound of a distant rushing stream, faint birdsong, and possibly a distant road drone. But beneath this we find a selection of ill-defined rumbling drones and blunt rolling tone- with later several layers of boiling noise grain appearing, as the track gets more bleak enclosing.

Finally, we have “Rainmaker III”  This initially appears to be just a straight/ untreated field recording of a road in rain lashing,  wind buffeting, and ever so often thunder breaking storm. As it goes on we seem to get more layers of rushing rain, moments where the whole thing seems to pan back/ enclose, and later these moments of eerie bleak bird cheep, and closer miked car sounds.

If you like where ambience, low-key noise, and lightly unsettling field recordings go together then Rainmaker will appeal, and I’ll be keeping a lookout for this projects work in the future