Considering theorist, writer, artist, curator and composer Lawrence English’s creative output over the last two decades, the phrase ‘a body of work’ inevitably looms. It’s a descriptor that generally feels over-used, with its own pretentions and hint of fawning respect, but for this singular experimental, electronic musician the image does ring true. The ever- evolving sonic document that he has shaped through time is just that, a ‘body of work’, living, shifting, aging, reflecting on past thoughts and continually extending his own thinking with each release.
New album ‘Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds’ marks the 25th year of boundary pushing for English’s own distinguished Room 40 imprint. It also finds him inexhaustible in his exploration of sound as an idea, as a physical thing, as an experience and as a phenomenon. That reads like Lawrence English is set on some relentless academic pursuit, well yes and no. The intellectual underpinning for his music is undoubtedly part of its distinction (reading his notes which come with each release always enriches) but his compositions have always been something to be felt as well as discussed or pondered over. English’s fascination with sounds in space provokes the making of evocative electronic music which engulfs and surrounds.
‘Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds’ has that swathing and swaddling quality, a delicately shifting, conjoined sequence in eight parts which merge together like patches of rolling mist. The music’s deep ambience seems part of English’s purpose here, a motivation further explained by the background to the whole piece. Originating from a sound environment commissioned by the Art Gallery Of New South Wales in 2022 for its new Naala Badu building, English responded by creating a piece that he hoped offered “an atmospheric tint to visitors walking through the building”. In translation from Gadigal, Naala Badu means ‘seeing water’ and that translucent expansiveness comes shimmering through ‘Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds’ in its recorded form.
This new album extends the proposition of the original work, exploring his thoughts about how “sound haunts architecture” and reflecting such ideas through a long form, ethereal soundscape. Reviewing as such feels redundant, like describing a dream to a stranger, so some memories from personal listening is all there can and really needs to be.
An elegiac piano motif opens, an assured simple pattern familiar and melodic. The phrases welcome while chord tangents gently curl away from the notes. Beneath the tunefulness, geysers of breezy sounds stir and from here the foundational drone at the spine of ‘Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds’ steadily swells. At first there’s a feeling of movement and flow, once distant sounds emerge to the foreground while others remain on the horizon. A staccato violin becomes a resurgent symphony, breathy voices and electric buzz-tones merge into a monotone monastic chorale. All these transitions are so delicate that they almost seem imagined as the drone uncoils further.
Amongst all this beautifully layered confluence the piano song remains a marker during this extensive listening journey. For some spells it vanishes completely like a passing conversation, leaving the eerie mysteries of the piece’s resurgent layered electronic tide to engulf all. Besides returning almost wearily at the mid-point, the keyboard’s conventional melodic buoy resurfaces most crucially as ‘Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds’ draws to a close. As the drone slowly retreats the pianist’s voicings strengthen, tangible, reassuring and ending on a warm, resonant bass note.
The recording, like many of English’s releases, once again sees the him working collaboratively. Past partnerships for whole albums have included Merzbow, David Toop, Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart and Basinski, but on ‘Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds’, like 2017’s ‘Cruel Optimism’, he involves the contributions of a host of associates from the experimental sound-sphere. Amby Downs, Chris Abrahams, Chuck Johnson, Claire Rousay, Dean Hurley, Jim O’Rourke, JW Paton, Madeleine Cocolas, Norman Westberg, Stephen Vitiello and Vanessa Tomlinson each received two long form sections from English’s original gallery sound commission and were invited to respond. It’s a testament to Lawrence English’s alchemic touch that he assimilated their rich commentaries then sculpted this piece of seamless intricacy.
From the beginning to an eventual resolution the composition stretches out for near to forty-five minutes but while listening, the experience seems to transcend time. There’s no surprise that the digital version is available as a continuous track as well as in segments. It feels as if this is how this music should be experienced although maybe the pause with the vinyl version, while you flip to side two, offers a moment to regroup. Still, however you choose to listen to ‘Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds’, the space this music fills becomes your own and that’s Lawrence English’s ultimate intention.
Get your copy of ‘Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds‘ from your local record store or direct from Room40 HERE
