CD – Room40

On Cursory Asperses, Celer offer auditory experiences built around water sounds from rivers, streams, lakes, beaches, and swimming pools. All were captured using cassette recorders and combined with various musical instruments including synthesizers, organs, cellos and pianos amongst others. These elements – DAWs and VSTs have not yet been introduced – were mixed avoiding traditional techniques, instead implementing a process that employs a convolution between two signals using specific software, and in doing so, removing the need to do it in real time. The result is a sound flow that doesn’t pursue technical perfection or melodic linearity but rather creates an immersive and almost ethereal effect, where environmental recordings and instrumental components merge organically. Celer explore the concept of soundscapes as fluid and dynamic entities, which constantly transform and escape any rigid categorisation. The continuous dialogue between natural and artificial sounds does not create clear contrasts, but rather an amalgam in which acoustic sources and digital manipulations are often indistinguishable. The eight compositions presented evolve in the form of long waves that lull the listener into a meditative journey through sonic memories and the emotions they evoke. The choice not to work in real time allowed Celer to explore new possibilities for sound manipulation, slowing down and distorting most of the recordings, creating a sense of suspension that accompanies the entire album. There is no explicit narration or evident thematic development: each piece evolves slowly, suggesting a state of inner quiet, but also of melancholy. The tracks do not carry a sense of urgency and as such allow themselves the luxury of dilating, almost as if their flow has been slowed, compelling the listener towards an even deeper reflection. The continuous flow of water becomes a symbol of an unhurried yet incessant progression, a metaphor tout court on existence and its transitory nature. Water, with its ability to adapt to any shape, becomes the sonic mirror of flexibility and impermanence. The sound palette, rich but never overabundant, offers a wide range of textures that always maintain a sense of cohesion and unity. Cursory Asperses is a work that requires patience and attentive listening, capable of enveloping and immersing those who tackle it in both a complete and contemplative sonic experience.

 

Celer – Cursory Asperses