Across The Ether

Limited. 2018 release. Si Matthews's Carpe Sonum debut, Tales of Ten Worlds, glorified the Namlook template to usher in new vistas of expansive headtones; to mix Fax-ian metaphors, something like an environmental space music that trafficked in Germanic kosmische traditions while not becoming wholly subservient to them. On Across the Ether, Matthews manages to find a way deeper into the cosmos with a purity of essence and engulfing outreach, using a broad range of merry modules to free your mind for your soul to follow. Beginning with the prickly drone clusters, shimmering galactic bubblewrap, and moog-esque whoosh of opener The Search, snatches of abandoned astronauts dialog frozen in a distant quasars bandwidth eerily paint a picture of beings trapped in all-encompassing voids, the light of farflung orbs their only accompanying illumination. Its an utterly compelling beginning that finds Matthews doing what classic synth/space music does best: erect whole new imagistic textures never before heard, considered, or contemplated. With the renaissance of electronic and synth-generated music going on full-force for nigh on a decade now, Matthews remains one of the movement's most talented young whippersnappers, amorphous by decree, providing us with, to borrow an album title from Hawkwind, astounding sounds, amazing music.