Mat Jarvis Gas 0095 1995

Mat Jarvis
Gas 0095
1995


Mysterious electronic injections of high pitched distant reverberations adjust our listening experience to make way for space-age and abstract sonic craftings. They hover around the space before us in groups of self-similar and polar opposite families. Hefty synthetic bass notes begin to repeat in short bursts as subtle progressions lure the music into higher and higher states of sound. Formulated motions of atmospheric sections drift alongside each other as the track “Experiments on Live Electricity” kicks the album off after a brief intro track called “Generator” which serves no real purpose.


The pulsing and throbbing sensations sculpted in the bass section adjust to allow for the more aerated and heady compositions to figure skate in designer motifs as the virtual disk spins in its cosmically attuned spot. The dream-score feel to the whole delivery needs to be kept in mind, looking for the trees in the wood will leave us disappointed, just sit back and let this one flow. Chill-out electronic sounds need to be respected, but also there's plenty of space for talking and socialising. In this way it would be great background music that would fill silences nicely.


There are a few spooky sections, and I suppose experimentica like this has to push the boundaries. The lack of melodic enchantment is made-up for by the deep and dirty retrospective bass-lines that throw us into a dreary and possibly dangerous zero gravity junk yard. The imagery is quite fantastic, giving our mind's eye the freedom it loves to play around with this as a prompt is recommended. There's more to this that your usual visualisation CD, it's real music that has soul and character but it also effortlessly teeters between worlds, allowing for the duality of experience to latch on to the focused and passive elements.


At over an hour long, the similarities and lack of ground breaking jump out composition could cause this album to drag slightly. Psybient abstract may not be exactly what you're looking for, the mood may require lyrics or melody, or something that doesn't repeat itself. The hypnotic factor at play in this album is quite distinguishable, once allowed to, the flow sits comfortably in a state of semi-awareness, but it must be given permission For me, at least, finding a space to put this music was a bit of a challenge, but once it had been on for a while, a natural place opened up.


The dated aspects in this production can be heard in the way that the loops are quite defined and the build-up and progressions, although experimental, all slot into easy slices. Modern electronic music has to be a bit cleverer than this, however for its day the use of novel sounds and variable progressions which do not necessarily push the energy where it is used to going makes an interesting album. For those chill-out ambient listeners who like a bit of vintage, it's probably exactly what you'll love.  
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