Tourmaline
Neuma, 2022
8/10
Dylan Ward brings his saxophone and electronic prowess to this atypical debut, where the 5 works explore electroacoustic textures, delay effects, sampling and electronic processing alongside the strategic use of his brass.
The title track, by Alexandra Gardner, opens the listen with quivering sax and plenty of glitchy electronics that make for a warm and mysterious lead off, and Viet Cuong’s “Naica” follows with calculated, dreamy brass bouts that emit a very charming demeanor.
The middle track belongs to Seth Andrew Davis, where the water sounds of “Angelus Novus” leads into buzzing, sci-fi, mechanical-esque noises, while “Seven Steps” showcases intricate guitar sounds amid twinkling keys and an unconventional rhythm in the Kenneth Michael Florence original.
Emma O’Halloran’s “Sum Of Its Parts” exits the listen, and recruits an ominous minimalism that drones with very absorbing gestures.
A listen that can be meditative, jarring and cosmic, Ward covers a lot of sonic territory across the listen, and it’s a highly creative and musically enlightening journey.
Travels well with: Richard Carr- Landscapes And Lamentations; MC Maguire- Transmutation Of Things