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Review by Bill Binkelman I never thought a Patrick O'Hearn album would supplant Metaphor as my favorite disc from this talented and unique artist. I'm not one hundred percent sure that Slow Time is at that point yet, but it's damn close! This is a brilliant exploration of subtle minimal electronics (with one or two exceptions), Harold Budd-like echoed piano, and soundscapes that are both deeply evocative and mentally stimulating. Few artists are able to seamlessly meld the cold aesthetic of the intellect with the subtleties of the human soul the way O'Hearn does, a talent that is illustrated time and time again on this CD. From the flowing ambient explorations of tracks like the closing "Still Standing" (plaintive piano surrounded by ebbing and flowing warm washes) to the more electronica-like "A Welcome Sight" (featuring ping-ponging synth tones and mild glitch textures, set against a backdrop of deeply echoed piano and shimmering keyboards, eventually folding in characteristic shuffling organic rhythms) or the more "typical" O'Hearn mixture of electronic keyboards, cyber-organic beats, and piano melodies of "I Could Live Here" the artist delivers on all counts: outstanding music compositions, solid production values (the mix on headphones is revelatory!), and a thread of continuity that wends its way throughout all eight tracks. There's a cut dedicated to Frank Zappa (the opening "Music for Three Vibraphone") which is minimalism personified, comprised of just what you expect from the title, but rich with nuance and a gentle beauty draped in sadness. The title track mixes semi-tribal rhythms with swirling electronics and textures, crafting a gentle but mesmerizing miasma of undulating tones and gracefully twittering effects. "Let's Move On" shows that O'Hearn, as some of his contemporaries also have done recently, has become re-acquainted with analog synths, exploring their warm humming bloops and bleeps and smooth washes of electronic chords. This song should register a "10" on the bliss meter for fans of vintage EM with an ambient twist. O'Hearn also explores darker, shadowy realms on ""I Remember Now," ushered in by mysterious reverberating gong tones, merging later with deep swelling synth drones and darker-tinted analog chords. That O'Hearn is able to infuse this drone-style music with beauty mixed with sadness is a illustration of what I referred to above when I testified to his ability to combine the intellect with the soul. Lastly, what I have always loved about Patrick O'Hearn's music is his sense of economy, both within tracks (the longest cut here is the eight-minute "Music for Three Vibraphones" but most selections are in the four to five minute range) and in regards to an entire album (the CD is less than 45 minutes long). For those who seem to think a recording has to offer the listener 60 to 70 minutes of music to be "worth it," all I can say is that I'd rather have half an hour of Patrick O'Hearn's music than one hour from artists who overstay their welcome with repetitive unending undeveloped compositions. In the end, quality should always count more than quantity. In the case of Slow Time, the quality is present every second, and the quality is of the highest degree, which is how I would rate my recommendation of this amazing album. It will almost certainly be one of the best releases of 2005 if a person has any taste whatsoever. |
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