Robert Rich — Michael Somoroff's Illumination

The seven deep, vast and haunting ambient tracks with-in where composed for a video installation that was original performed and built around Rothko Chapel in Texas, which is also the location which modern classical composer Morton Feldman based one of his celebrated pieces around.

And though the tracks here are based around Michael Somoroff’s Illumination video installation which deals with light falling through windows in imaginary sacred spaces, you can feel the kinship between Feldman’s shifting often dark raising and falling piece and of course the works abstract expressionist Mark Rothko(whom the chapel was designed and painted by) with his canvas and prints built around blocks or subtle shifting washers of often dark hued colours.

The tracks here move at a slow unhurried pace feeling like there sonically mapping out vast structures or ever expanding spaces, at times you feeling like your move in to lighter and more divine harmonic territory, but more often then not you are set a drift on huge droning and subtle shifting tones that are often inhabited by hushed banks of voice tones, bells or slow circle tinkling. This is sound to fall into and let it take you slowly but surely away from the solid and real world, and into slow-moving spaces ways, spiritual plans or shifting imaginary landscapes of your mind.

A dark, rich and sometimes harmonic 70 minute sonic exploration into ambient sound making painted by one of the master of the form. I have a feeling that both Rothko and Feldman would deeply enjoy what Rich has done here with his accomplished sonic brush strokes.