Sacred Phrases

Nils Quak – ‘Fragmente Des Verschwindens’ CS
Having issued stunning and staggering sets of modular drone music with dozens of labels around the globe (Umor Rex, SicSic Tapes, Cosmic Winnetou, among many others), Nils Quak now returns with Fragmente des Verschwindens, a seven-track drift that perfectly balances the Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany-based producer’s pristine patches and meditative stillness. “Inwards,” “Gestalt,” and “Please Give Me Sleep” highlight Quak’s penchant for curious sonic exploration and unencumbered patch studies, creating a welcoming stage for generative, self-playing cycles of sound. “Longitude,” “No Way I Can Tell,” and “I Don’t Think This Would Ever Change Anything,” and closer “Wonderland” wade in a blipping murk of shifting, tectonic tones that peer deep into a post-industrial unconscious while maintaining an air of elegance. The end result is a captivating mix of Keith Fullerton Whitman’s serrated modular work, C. Spencer Yeh’s sublimely serrated drones, and Terry Riley’s celestial minimalism.

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