Mute Records
Ben Frost has given the world 10 albums to date each fascinatingly complex in their minimalism and gorgeous in their own way. A U R O R A the latest offering from the Australian musician and producer is his first to get some major distribution via Mute Records and it’s about time.
A U R O R A paints a picture of a desolate future with cacophony and deep undulating melodies interspersed with sheer quiet. Overall it feels heavy and foreboding.
Frost takes quiet hums and combines them with noisy rhythm and implacable tones in an extraordinarily unique way. To listen to this album you can’t simply have it play in the background for the numerous quiet moments and densely layered compositions will be lost on you. The soundless breaks create the perfect calm before carefully architected crescendos of storming beauty. Then there are the fuller musical moments where notes layer on top of sounds layered on top of noise resulting in more complexity.
This is something fans of Tim Hecker and Fennesz will enjoy. Find a good listening system and devote 40 minutes here it’s worth it.
