Inspired by Bob Gramsma’s land art monument Riff, PD#18245, Dutch artist Anne Vanschothorst collaborates with producer Thijs de Melker on the ambient single “RIFF.” The track transforms acoustic harp recordings into a meticulous soundscape, blending raindrop-like trickles with vibe-y electronics to map an eerie, spacey depth where acoustic beauty and artful introspection dissolve together. The original harp recording was allowed to drift, transform, and settle into a new form, echoing the original art piece.
Balancing dark intrigue with frolicking vibrancy, the track’s production commences with an eerie entrancement. Glimpses of backing, hazy electronics linger amidst a solemn clanging, before an elegantly lush harp emergence unveils just before the one-minute mark, maintaining the atmosphere’s dark disposition while still injecting some frolicking vibrancy, in its trickling tone. The easy-flowing harp work continues to immerse, cohesively pairing with spine-tingling electronic ambience into a lovely shift at the two-minute mark.
There, a spaciously subtle soundscape takes hold, with the harp’s dreaminess venturing into the absorbing dexterity of the track’s second half. The harp moves with glistening urgency thereafter, occasionally pausing in the midst of these raindrop-like plucking, and into a lower-pitched sense of somberness as the track comes to a satiating close. “RIFF” is a gorgeously impactful piece from Anne Vanschothorst, propelled by magnetic harp playing and a clear knack for meticulously crafted soundscapes.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
