Similar to her previous works, composer
Christina Vantzou
's fourth solo album blends orchestral and electronic instruments as well as unearthly voices, resulting in slow-moving, calmly introspective soundscapes.
No. 4
features a typically extensive cast of contributors who played a greater role in shaping the final product than on
Vantzou
's previous recordings. Opener "Glissando for Bodies and Machines in Space" perfectly encapsulates the album's sound, with
Angel Deradoorian
's heavenly sighs descending through untethered electro-acoustic droning. "At Dawn" is soothing in its simplicity, with soft, rich waves of cello flowing into the horizon. "Some Limited and Waning Memory" seems a wee bit more direct, with delicate piano notes pulling into focus over an ethereal drift, and the occasional re-surfacing of
Deradoorian
's celestial cries. Later pieces hint toward a darker, more haunted space, but stop short of sounding like a score to a suspenseful film (although the ghostly, wavy chorus at the end of "Sound House" and the ominous pulse of "Garden of Forking Paths" come close).
Steve Hauschildt
appears on the gently rippling closer "Remote Polyphony," which slowly shifts from soft, bright cascades to more reserved murmurations. ~ Paul Simpson