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'The Shuttle Leaves at Midnight' – f5point6 (SBA #028)
After a six-month period of hiatus, f5point6 – the musical guise of multidisciplinary artist R.Cleveland Aaron – returns to See Blue Audio with a new collection of music, ‘The Shuttle Leaves at Midnight’, for the twenty-eighth release on the label. The last six months have been far from quiet, however, as Cleveland began working on the next stage of his musical evolution. If the previous five releases under the ‘KaleidoSound’ banner can be seen as a complete body of work, then ‘The Shuttle Leaves at Midnight’ is the first chapter in a new series that sees him explore different directions and unknown territories. The clue is in the title, while across its five tracks the music is given the scope to truly breathe.
The ‘KaleidoSound’ series covered a wide range of themes to form an audio chronicle of the evolution of our world. Now we have ‘The Shuttle Leaves at Midnight’, a point of transition in the musical journey of f5point6, and, as the title suggests, it’s the beginning of a one-way trip. This is also a new beginning in terms of sound creation as the field recordings and audio manipulation of ‘KaleidoSound’ are replaced by a deep dive into the world of the synthesizer. The overall f5point6 sense of cinematography remains, but the predominantly beatless soundscapes are now enhanced by Cleveland’s growing confidence and use of experimentation in the studio. Miles Davis, Jon Hassell, Jan Jelinek and Eleh should also be cited as influences, as well as his continuing fascination with the culture of science fiction.
The opening title track acts as the first step on a spiritual journey to the mothership, and from there onwards to destinations unknown. Drawing on the ambient style of ‘elevator music’ before gradually accelerating into hyperdrive, the shuttle enters the stratosphere and the awaiting Icarus II. ‘Flight of the Icarus II’ follows, and this fictional spaceship is tasked with succeeding where its predecessor failed: the jump into the void is made, there is no turning back.
‘Looking Back, Going Forward’ marks midway in the journey and serves as a time for evaluation. Taking inspiration from past jazz masters, a minimal arrangement and contrasting rhythms are set against a backdrop of endless space. In contrast, ‘Charting Unknown Constellations’ reveals an unexpected discovery before disembarking. Manipulating the sound of a single synth, it conjures up a vision of distant star systems and the esoteric aesthetic of ‘fourth world music’.
‘Multidimensional Excursions’ concludes the voyage and rather like parallel universes, it’s a celebration of the birth of new concepts. Juxtaposing pulses and rhythms create wide-open spaces; a new star system becomes home; and Icarus II is replaced by Cepheus, a transporter more suited to the untapped terrain. Terraforming this new world can now begin, but this must wait until the next chapter, ‘A Matter of Light and Depth’. You have arrived at your destination.
Artwork and photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.
credits
released November 26, 2021
All tracks written, produced and mixed by R.Cleveland Aaron.
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