Recorded in a single take and spread over 4 parts, Respawning as a Pearl is a breathtaking work of sustain, concentration, and tension, expertly woven together by Androctonyx (aka Lucas Gendre). There is continuity above all else, achieved by an organ–like drone that runs throughout, but the rest is pure minimalism. Washes of glitchy filters enter like comets passing, lifting the electronic composition while never distracting from its telos

The mood here is dark, to be sure, though the feeling is closer to the levity of Stephan Mathieu‘s magisterial The Falling Rocket than any sourpuss “dark ambience” of late. Again, in a single take, Gendre holds the harmonic threads together and maintains a taught whole, a kind of gestalt that is unlikely given the components at play. Xenakis’s Metastasis comes to mind, though the sharpness of those 61 voices is swapped for a soft attack with many rounded edges. Given the drone and cyclical nature of Respawning as a Pearl, the work is a pleasure to hear on repeat.

Fans of slowly gathering minimalist storms anchored by a haunting drone should definitely apply.  Others looking for a soundtrack to imagined journeys behind the pale will also be rewarded. Highly recommended!...for more