New Zealand’s Jesse Woolston is equal parts audio and visual artist. His new disc µstructure is the work of a genuine aesthete with a flair for electronics. But there’s much more to unpack. The music is presented along with an artbook and installation.
“This record is the representation of my passion for art, sound and film,” he writes on his Facebook page. Over the last five months I have had the musical pieces paired with my audio/visual installation art to build upon the greater concept of structure. Having these pieces showcased in Mexico City, London, San Francisco and Florida has allowed me to bridge the connection between the album, installation work and the microscopic photography book and CD.”
The disc opens gently with “This Way Comes.” Like a lot of the album, it has a tenderness about it that will appeal to a broad audience. µstructure can fairly be described as either a new classical or ambient work, but it lacks the stuffiness sometimes associated with the former and the lack of imagination too often found in the latter. This is just as likely to appeal to Peter Gabriel fans as it is Gabriel Fauré admirers.
“Lambent 01” follows with a more purely ambient feel. The synth lines are rich and dramatic. Laid against a minimalist piano and strings, the piece virtually guarantees pleasant dreams.
Then comes the album’s title track. Woolston has described the project as a study of scale and structure. The artbook features microscopic photography, while the installations obviously scale up. This piece is an effort to pull those ideas together, and it does so beautifully. It is the album’s most detailed and enjoyable piece.
You may be familiar with Woolston’s work under the name Koronis. Hearing this new disc, it’s no surprise he chose to put his given name on it.