Polar Seas Recordings has two handsome cassette/download releases out June 2: the aforementioned Echoic Architecture by Endurance and this new one from Brad Deschamps. Those who follow the label will recognize Deschamps as the label’s curator and as half of North Atlantic Drift.
This iridescent beauty is his eighth release under the anthéne name.
The eight new tracks were recorded over the summer of 2016 and winter of 2017. Deschamps performs minilogue, blofeld, juno, guitar and effects pedals.
Three pieces stand out in particular. The distortion effects in “displacement” linger under haunted house atmospherics. Don’t let your mind wander too far on this one – you won’t end up in a happy place.
Another highlight is “in motion.” It could be a tribute piece to the great Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou (a.k.a. Vangelis). Deschamps captures that lovely, late 1970s synth feel that inspired so many electronic musicians a decade later. Great stuff.
Finally, the album’s closer “from here to nowhere.” There’s a perfect balance struck here between the ambient keyboard and white noise backing. It’s a fitting end for an album packed with contrasts.