Suspended Cadences

Released as a counterpart to the similarly vinyl-only effort Signaux, Suspended Cadences found Robert Hampson concentrating here on the quieter, calmer side of his 2012 aesthetic, in strong if not complete contrast to the approach on Signaux itself. That said, the actual pieces are part of a continuing series he has performed both live and in studio, so it's more accurate to call this part of a documentation of a core theme that he revisits each time in an improvised fashion. "Suspended Cadences (Three)" begins with a low, burring hum that gently transforms into a sweeter/calmer drone, though as always with a certain unsettled, high-pitched element. The gently ominous feeling of the song transforms into something that is not lighter in tone but perhaps in atmosphere, something generally uplifting as it rides up high and off into the unknown ten minutes in, while the buzzing hum increases. As such it's a perfect, slow, mysterious counterpoint. "Suspended Cadences (Four)" draws in and chills it out even further; it's a darker but no less compelling variation. ~ Ned Raggett