With her debut album, 'Ballads', Bellouin presents the listener with two sidelong tracks, “Bourdon” and “Hummen” that slowly evolve over their respective courses. Both pieces focus on the acoustic and psychoacoustic phenomena that arise from microtonal tuning variations, and invite the audience to enter a heightened state of listening where small details become the primary focus.
Each track unfolds into an intricate auditory journey, suggesting subtle alterations to the perception of linear time. As the pieces progress, select tones emerge and transform the sound by revealing hidden overtones. The negative spaces between closely paired pitches are unveiled to create complex tonal structures and shifting rhythmic patterns.
"Bellouin, along with guitarist Ben Bracken and cellist Teddy Rankin (Parker) have created two atmospheric tracks that feel like ideas and emotions forming in some artistic “big bang”. Ballads follows in the footsteps of classic electronic and experimental composers like Terry Riley, Pauline Oliveros, Steve Reich, and Morton Subotnick and pushes the boundaries of what instrumental music can and should be." - J Hubner, Backseat Mafia, 2016
"Ballads is one of the most beautiful, consuming, and challenging works I’ve heard all year. I can feel it creeping into the future – leaving an imprint on the rest of my days." - Bradford Bailey, The Hum, 2016
credits
released November 11, 2016
Composed, performed, recorded, and mixed by Ashley Bellouin between the period of 2012-2015, with Ben Bracken and Teddy Rankin-Parker joining on electric guitar and cello, respectively.
“Bourdon” features the Sequential Prophet 6, custom electronics, harmonium, cello, and electric guitar.
“Hummen” features Bellouin’s hand-built glass armonica, custom electronics, harmonium, electric guitar, and aluminum rods.
Front image by Jason Houck
Back image by Dicky Bahto
Recorded inside a nuclear cooling tower, this 25-minute album is distinguished by innovative sound design and musical ingenuity. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 18, 2020
Danish avant-garde crew SVIN explore far-out new lands on their latest, the sound of a galaxy folding in on itself in cut time. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 16, 2022