On her first vinyl LP release, multidisciplinary artist Susana López presents four compositions that blend synths, field recordings, and other sounds treated into pure abstraction. Layered and processed, they are reassembled into compositions that are quite beautiful yet have an alien quality to them that makes them all the more engaging.
Expansive synth tones and what resembles grinding field recordings lead off on "Mundus Imaginalis." Although what seems identifiable would be characterized as either electronic or mechanical, the feeling is an organic one. As she layers in buzzing and subtle, gurgling like noises, the piece becomes a slow, glacial paced one that has incredible depth to it. Comparably, "Materia Vibrante" continues that open, drifting in space feeling, but the overall piece is more defined by tonality as opposed to texture. There is a sense of wide open spaces that are filled with lush and complex melodies.
On the other side of the record, "Sonic Meditation" resembles a subaquatic hum, augmented by subtle rising and falling tones. With more of an overall cyclic sense, she brings in the occasional odd groaning-like sound and rhythmic rattles to ensure it is never overly repetitive. On the closing "Luminescence," ironically (at least to me) the mood shifts a bit darker, with López working in somewhat lower frequencies compared to what preceded. The mix is still beautiful and lush, with tones accented with the occasional click or fluttering noise adding an almost rhythmic character.
Combining the nature of the song titles, and the abstract cover artwork, it seems like Susana López approached Materia Vibrante as a work heavily steeped in the concept of natural elements. However, as her visual art supports, these feel like decidedly unearthly elements, which carries over into the sound perfectly. Dense, inviting, yet unworldly in its overall tone, it is a fascinating work from beginning to end.
