Celestial Matter_blog1.  Alone in the Vast Sea (Excursion 1) by Bobby Jones
2.  Divinidad Revelada by Fernando Carvalho
3.  Dry Ice (1st movement) by Cinchel
4.  Sung From Sympathetic Strings by Darren Harper
5.  Oort Cloud by Savaran
6.  Back and Forth by Eeem [eim]
7.  Dusty Measures by Mystified
8.  Unknown, or Unremembered by Darwin Raymond
9.  City Point by Elian
10. Interiors by Darren McClure
11. The Dust of Divinity by The Green Kingdom
12. Tolophie by Kluge
13. Breathing Through Me by Gimu
14. Destine by Jii-Music
15. Orchestral by Caterpillars Dressed In Their Finest
16. Adrift by HXDK
17. Divination by Kid Feardive

Celestial Matter, the fragments of objects of any form that orbit, fly or remain still in the vast darkness of our universe, a wondrous thing when thought about, and even more amazing when you stare up at a night sky and see these objects in their luminosity. But have you heard celestial matter?

For new US netlabel Subterranean Tide’s first release this is what they have aimed and succeeded in capturing, that essence of turning one’s head to the sky and hearing the celestial bodies that flicker and shimmer as they pass one another. Presented as a compilation in reaction to a poem written by label runner Emily Loren Moss Ferrell, or the poem of the artists choosing, the constellation of ambient and experimental excursions take the listener on a journey outwards while remaining introspective.

 

‘Singing through the windows
of a decayed youth

divinity revealed itself

playing the strings
of a celestial matter

in measures of orchestral dust’

 

Divinity revealing itself is what comes to mind when Bobby Jones’ piece opens up the compilation.  And through art we are able to experience such divinity. Glistening and otherworldly guitars are stretched in time and space. A haunting yet peaceful ambience surrounds the listener, and you are drawn into the concept and the music. And if one closes their eyes at any point, you could be forgiven for feeling that you are drifting through space with the sound of orchestral dust scattering at either side of one’s head during the plaintive Dusty Measures by Mystified, or the time stretched chants in Gimu’s haunting contribution.

There is a beautiful meeting point between the electronic and acoustic worlds throughout this compilation, purely exemplified in Darwin Raymond’s glittering minimalist guitar, Reichian in nature with subtle ambience while Eeem’s piece brings us back down to earth – I imagine myself on waking at dawn, the light of the sun refracting on the clouds to paint a purple hue as birds sing to one another, it is cold and the moon is still visible but fading.

There is a symbiotic relationship here, the nature of our planet, its inhabitants reacting to a vastly mysterious universe – and with this music presented here the universe is reacting back at us, the watchers, playing the strings of a celestial matter, and it is beautiful and breath taking.

~Alex Stretton

Release Date: May 2013