Kit Downes: Dreamlife of Debris
Author: Stuart Nicholson
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Musicians: |
Tom Challenger (ts) |
Magazine Review Date: |
February/2020 |
Media Format: |
CD |
Catalogue Number: |
ECM 77837555 |
RecordDate: |
November 2018 |
Dreamlife of Debris has its roots in Downes’ 2015 recording Vyamanical (Slip), that documents the improvisations on various church organs taken during a walking tour of houses of worship. The concept was taken up by ECM records and resulted in 2018’s Obsidian, which in turn has led to Dreamlife of Debris, where the peripatetic element has been removed and the emphasis switched to exploring the tonalities and textures of two church organs (at the church of St John the Baptist in Snape and St Paul’s Hall, Huddersfield University) through a series of original compositions. Once the organ parts had been recorded, Downes then integrated acoustic piano into the overall scheme. The dreamlike ambiance and melodies he created were then given extra depth by the contributions of his guests on tenor sax, guitar, cello and drums through overdubbing. The result is a unique musical experience – texturally and melodically rich, it’s strangely and eerily moving.

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