Viridian Sun - Infinite In All Directions (2009)

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Viridian Sun - Infinite In All Directions (2009)

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Viridian Sun is a duo focusing on abstract improvisation, featuring Hypnos founder Mike Griffin, and Hypnos solo artist David Tollefson. Their last studio album Perihelion was released a full decade ago on Hypnos, though VS continued to record together and occasionally perform live. The new album Infinite In All Directions moves into slightly different sonic material, downplaying synthesizer electronics in favor of guitar and bass guitar, electronically treated and looped. The result combines sustained, blissful drones, along with occasionally strange, complex overlapping loops.

Although Hypnos may not seem to appear as prolific as they used to be, its always good to see their releases. M. Griffin, responsible for the label, doesn't set out to innovate the world of music, but has carved out a niche of his own, which he likes to explore, either through his own music or that of others. Together with David Tollefson he plays music as Viridian Sun. They both take credit for playing guitars, bass, percussion, looping, procession and Griffin also for voice. Not that I detected many voice on here, but no doubt one could say that for guitar, save for some obvious point here and there. Everything they play is transformed into lengthy washes of ambient sound. Like the title suggests about the universe, it can also be said of the music. It expands in all directions, moving slowly, elegantly forward - or backward, or downward, side ways, up, down - and perhaps all of it in the same time. Time? Another relative thing - although I am not educated to say such things that deal with nature, or in any philosophical ways. Seven tracks, clearly apart, perhaps that's the extent of these things that make them time based. According to the cover, this was all recorded live in the studio, which made me think that these boys should be on the road and play all night concerts, endlessly improvising and exploring the depths of the synthesized ambient music. Warm music in cold days.

Infinite In All Directions is another fantastic cosmic space trip into the dark and unexplored regions–true "space music" in every sense of the phrase. Without synths this time, the sound is much more dense than the duo's debut Solar Noise (still one of the best Hypnos releases ever), but no less atmospheric. You gotta love guitars (which I do) and all the magical new sounds that can be coaxed out of them with delays and other processing goodies, to appreciate this music. I imagine this release is what may have resulted had Slowdive dropped the girl and the drummer, and decided not to make pop music anymore, but rather sit around their own bedrooms and make trippy soundscapes for their own personal enjoyment. There is that intimate vibe present on this recording. Music not for the casual listen, but immersive music that demands your full attention to appreciate every nuance of the sounscapes. One of the very best of 2009, and worth the 10-year wait.