|
Brendan Pollard expends our Kosmische Musik inheritance in the seclusion of his Midge House studio. Lost volume 1 (58:21) and Lost volume 2 (56:36) are an enchantment of names, eras, albums and tracks that revive a most magical age of synthesizers. The six pieces on each mean to keep the Berlin-School dream going. Restoring the hope and aspiration of this period the only way he can, Pollard applies a meticulous technical proficiency, taut precision and attunement in his summoning of the 1970s innovative spirit. A nostalgia trip that belongs to the present as much as it does the past, these two collections of previously unreleased material rouse cherished memories and classic records of a bygone day. Finding a strong current of authenticity while conjuring surreal sonic atmospheres, across both Lost volume 1 & 2 Pollard approaches texture, melody and rhythm with a sense of freedom that roams beyond the Earthly plane. Feeling its way into the silence of the listening chamber the slow build soon gives way to a courageous interrogation of Pollard's modular synthesizer system. With sequencer work so admiringly tight and thrillingly energetic he wanders in wonder within a full and imaginative realization of electricity. Deployed alongside leaping lead lines, time-honored Mellotron flutes, horns and strings light out in fanciful flights. Building meaning and message above a rumbling motorized meter we find the throbbing pulse of multi-layered sequencer patterns racing outward, only to recede beneath a swirling ether of spacey sounds and modulated effects. Through Pollard's creative focus we encounter a world of exploration, discovery and recognition. With wayfaring works out at the edges of Electronic Music he envisions a future where machines have not outpaced people, but rather a time when we will become, not more mechanical... but more human - a persistent wish in the face of reality.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 11 June 2026 |
