Entry 337 - Loscil - Clara

 

"Sourced from a single three-minute composition performed by a 22-piece string orchestra in Budapest. The subsequent recording was lathe-cut on to a 7-inch, then “scratched and abused to add texture and color,” from which the entirety of Clara was sampled, shape-shifted, and sculpted."

This is the description of Clara given by Loscil. It's an intriguing concept and shows vast potential. I'm already a self admitted partaker of minimalist ambient... even more so if the music is based in classical music. This release fit both of those criterion so I was instantly fascinated by its existence.

I've actually been hesitating to write this summary for quite some time, I'm not sure how to fully convey the music that is on Clara into words. I can throw out generic descriptions such as: it's a minimalist dream of sonic landscapes. Or it fully embraces what music can fully achieve with less. Those descriptions may or may not convey what is on the record.

Instead of focusing on the music itself, I decided to write about the emotions it elicits in me. When it comes down to it, after all the memories of the music have faded, I'm often left with feelings on how I felt about an album. This often goes much deeper than "did I like it or not," it often goes into the why of that question.

Clara leaves me with a profound sense of reflection and awe when I listen to it. The songs give me pause. I am forced to stop what I am doing and l i s t e n. In listening terms it's hard for me to think of a higher compliment. Music that demands your attention regardless of what you are doing is incredibly rare... Clara is one of those records.

I only started listening to Loscil within the past six months. His work is varied and engaging. I haven't listened to a vast majority of it yet, but if Clara is anything to go by then I may be reworking a few of my top ten albums to fit some of his material in.