M. Geddes Gengras - Light Pipe [Room40 Promo]

Put on the circuit as a 2xCD album via the ever busy Room40-imprint on October 12th, 2k18 is "Light Pipe", the new ten track album effort produced by M. Geddes Gengras which happens to be his tenth solo longplay recording as well. Going into the first disc subtitled 'Interiors' we see the opening track "Mirrors" provide a deep 14+ minutes journey going way beyond the Ambient realm into a broader sense of classic ChillOut before the "Subway" makes a short stop and seamless transition into dreamy pad structures somehow evoking memories of early IDM-heroes like Future Sound Of London whilst the subsequent "Nave" brings forth a beautiful, yet longing and lonely take on haunted Isolationist Ambient, later on garnished with soft layers of manipulated guitars. With "Chancel", the 26 minutes main piece featured on the first disc, we're drawn into a world of classic pad-built Ambient soundscapes accompanied by buzzing electric background circuits and more Cosmic sounds whereas "Water Study" represents the cheesier, over-the-top side of the genre throughout its extended runtime. Inspecting the 'Exteriors' on the second disc we first see "Cherise" employing a twangy, slightly cheesy Post-PostRock / Guitar Ambient approach, followed by "Irwin" weighing in elements of classic 80s Synth / Cosmic mixed with the occasional World Music vibe every now and then. Progressing further the "Pinnacle" explores the magic of reprocessed organic instruments, the "Vulture" seems to be a surprisingly positive, curious and playful creature and the final cut "Cherise (Return)" and its mixture of Post-PostRock / Pop Ambient and lo-fi bleeps brings back memories of the well-beloved self-titled Aosuke album once released as a musical exception from their regular layout on Hamburg's Audiolith-imprint years ago.