Meredith Bates - Tesseract [Phonometrograph]

Released via the Vancouver-based label that is Phonometrograph on June 2nd, 2k23 is Meredith Bates' "Tesseract", a monolithic, roughly 128 minutes spanning 2CD set of an album which sees the composer x violin player embark on a six track x composition journey with the longest of her most recent pieces covering a total playtime of whopping 46 minutes - for one single track! This being said Bates' opens from an angle of claustrophobic, Rhythm Industrial-infused Noize sequences before providing relief via hopeful Ambient / New Age passages of glistening, almost cinematic qualities whilst furthermore drifting into most beauteous, cascading and yet elegic (Neo)Classical composition techniques and finally touching base with cold and futuristic, sci-fi-leaning Industrial Electronics which in parts evoke memories of both Muslimgauze on the former Audio.NL label as well as Marco Passarani's underrated "Unspeakable Future Outbreaks" album and many other great releases of the time before dissolving into a melange of krautsy off-loops, experimental rhythms and vantablack low end movements. Subsequently the second part offers a menu of brittle, ever moving OffAmbient paired with nervous, ever decaying violin parts and enchanted Ambient movements garnished with subtle and subdued Future Tribal rhythms for the opening title track whereas the rest of the disc brings forth mysteriously scraping and crackling minimalist Electronica arrangements as well as more Classical melancholia and, in stark contrast, heavy mechanical Industrial x Rhythmic Noize arrangements as well. Quite a trip, this, although going through an extended album like this is quite in one sitting is quite a lot to take in and defo not meant for the unexperienced listener.

Album artwork on Instagram!