No Statue by ff8282
No Statue by ff8282 is progressive muscle relaxation for the mind; sounds for a quiet space with emotional neutrality. Best listened to in its entirety, the album starts with minor fits of tension, which eventually soften through textured interference. There is an openness required of the listener, much like preparing for a planetarium show: turn the lights down so there are no distractions to your imagination, let go of what you know, life is heavy on Earth.
“Each piece is drenched in a maelstrom of audio stretched to dream-like degrees, sounds never intended for listening,” notes Brisbane-based artist April Emily.
That’s it right there: ‘sounds never intended for listening’.
Interestingly, and at odds with my own listening experience, the artist explains that a particular scene from a crime drama informs the mood of No Statue. I’ll leave listeners to discover which series and scene over at ff8282 Bandcamp.
I don’t want to sound trite in referring to planetarium music. I could also describe this album in food terms: easily absorbed, like butter on a warm roll…the kind of butter with micro-shards of salt, not afraid to make themselves apparent at moments because they know they belong there and make the whole thing better.
I love food. I love planetarium shows, especially when they wash over you like educational ASMR. Coming back down to Earth feels like a total bummer, just like eating the last cookie. At least with music, it’s much easier to go back to over and over again.
If you like Windy & Carl’s Antarctica, or some of the washed out guitar sounds of Neil Halstead on Mary Lattimore’s Silver Ladders, I think you’ll appreciate No Statue. April Emily brings quiet attention to sounds, inviting you to listen rather than just hear.
Favourite tracks: “aug16” and “doir”
ff8282 is the solo project of Meanjin/Brisbane, Australia artist April Emily. ff8282’s music comes from a personal space, coupling quiet reflections with noisy atmospheres. No Statue was released digitally and on a super-duper-limited run of cassettes by 4000 Records. Each of the five cassettes is unique in design and (extra) sounds.
