Style: Ambient
Primary Emotions/Themes: A surreal experience of being placed on hold for hours upon end and the warping of the mind that would occur in such a situation
Thoughts: On hold is the musical distortion of one of Photay's friends who was stuck on hold with a company for hours upon end. The hold music was recorded and distorted and rearranged beyond anything recognizable to create this fascinating album.
The music contained within these twelve songs feel like the world is moving in slow motion. Melodies are played, but they are coming at such a slow pace that a sloth seems expeditious. A note will come in and fade over the course of thirty seconds only to have it happen again slightly differently for the second half of the same minute.
The songs themselves, while all similar in pace, are quite different in the mood and execution. A song like Peace in the Era of Telecommunication sounds like someone floating through space and these are the last moments they have left to live. A song like Hold On sounds a bit more desperate. It's still slow, but there is a frustration building in the music that was not there in the earlier tracks. The music fades in and out faster, and will suddenly get cut off from time to time.
The album itself is one that I like to put on, close my eyes, and be carried away by the floating tones of the album. Everything here feels like its been coated in a blanket of pure warmth, even the more "urgent" tracks. Laying back I begin to lose myself in the embrace of the album and more than once I've fallen asleep to it's peaceful tones.
Photay has created a pretty unique album here. It reminds me a bit of Locil's album Clara, where he took an orchestra and chopped it up and slowed it down for an entire album. This has very much the same effect, but rather than a dark and foreboding tone, On Hold is somewhat of a peaceful resignation that time will continue to flow. All things do come to those who wait.
Written March 31st 2024
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