Tag Archives: AKP Recordings

Switched On – Omar Ahmad – Inheritance (AKP Recordings)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Inheritance is the debut album from Palestinian-American artist Omar Ahmad. Ahmad is a multi-instrumentalist, and as the only contributor to this record his list of instruments makes impressive reading. On Bandcamp he is credited with contributions on cello, synthesizer, guitar, percussion, voice, programming, CDJ, field recordings and effects – so pretty much everything bar the kitchen sink!

Ahmad hones his talents into emotive music that provides a soundtrack for some of the bigger questions. As stated on his Bandcamp page, they are: What is a right to a land? What is the responsibility of the youth to carry forward the struggles and undertakings of their elders? How can we break the recurrence of intergenerational trauma that gives rise to the cyclical conflicts that tear away at the heart of humanity?

Ahmad does not pretend to have any answers to hand, but his wish is to provide music that grants the listener a chance to react freely, either in animation or in reflection, and to connect not just with their inner adult but with the inner child as well.

What’s the music like?

Ahmad’s music rewards close inspection – but it is equally effective if the listener chooses to listen from afar, and let the overall mood wash over them.

Close up, there is a good deal going on. Fragments of melody, often fitting into the ‘pentatonic’ scale, are consistently attractive features of the music, as is the texture, with the ear often panning out for a wide-angle sonic lens. Here the field recordings, and other vocal snippets, are helpful. The start of Gesso, for instance, has middle ground voices but soon cuts to running water and a soft, held chord the listener can easily dive into.

Often there is a heat haze in Ahmad’s workings, so when the rhythm kicks in during A Little Time For Me it creates a shimmering horizon in the mind’s eye. Rhythm plays a bigger part in Sham Oasis and Lapses, both of which create dubby profiles while Ahmad bends a few samples in and out of focus. The excellent Usra generates more energy through a quicker rhythm.

There are some mind bending sonics here, too. Descended from a Wanaque Tree (Borrowed Memory) is the standout, with some bewitching timbres and playful execution that prove hypnotic on headphones.

Does it all work?

Yes, it does. Ahmad’s musical language is immediately attractive, and its cosmopolitan outlook will wind many friends, as will his sonic invention.

Is it recommended?

Yes, enthusiastically. Omar Ahmad offers something a little different, something well above the average, run of the mill. This is certainly an album to chill out with, but the rewards are ultimately far greater.

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Switched On – John Atkinson: Energy Fields (AKP Recordings)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Energy Fields is the response of composer John Atkinson to climate change. Over four tracks it presents field recordings from September 2019 at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming.

Atkinson’s Bandcamp page describes ‘the largest coal-producing state in America, as well as a burgeoning hub for renewables and carbon capture. These sounds of electrical hums, shuddering coal mines, roaring refineries, and gently clanking wind turbines, along with groaning bison, chattering cranes, and other wildlife, are reshaped into four tracks of heavy drone that veer from anxiety to awe, and from anthropocentric to transcendent.’

What’s the music like?

At times, a riot of colour and activity – at other times reaching a zen level of calm. Spiritual Electricity switches on for a particularly bright opening, with sustained pitches and drones. It conjures up visions of dragonflies as the current passes through, before giving the impression of a radio drifting in and out of focus. Black Thunder has a darker, fragmented outlook, the same electronic fuzz now sounding sinister as it lurks in wait to quash any melodic cells.

By contrast Casper brings a lovely purity to its bright treble pitches, while World Wind is more obviously industrial in its outlook, but the workings are strangely comforting over a held drone and with hints of birdsong in the background. As a consonant harmony makes itself ever clearer, Atkinson’s music takes on a refreshing purity – and we are left with the chatter of the birds.

Does it all work?

Yes – in a very unhurried way, creating some vivid portraits of the Wyoming location. For immersive listening it is hard to rival.

Is it recommended?

It is. Escapism is an all-too common requirement in the music we consume these days, but John Atkinson ensures the trip is a deep and meaningful one.

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Switched On – Arthur King: Changing Landscapes (Mina Las Pintadas) (AKP Recordings)

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Reviewed by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

The Changing Landscapes series has already reaped handsome sonic rewards for Arthur King, the multimedia project spearheaded by electronic craftsman Peter Walker.

He has already given us dispatches from the Utah desert, a farm in Iowa and the Isle of Eigg, but for this latest instalment King heads underground to a copper mine in Chile.

What’s the music like?

Descriptive and compelling. As in previous instalments, Arthur King uses field recordings of the mine’s machinery and environment, looking to get to the heart of its workings.

The mechanical processes are the ideal foil to a plethora of interesting melodic ideas, presented in rich and evocative colours. Because of the dark subject matter a lot of this music feels nocturnal, with the colour added by ticking machinery or sonorous brass instruments.

There is easy ambience to start with, and the machinery of the mine can be heard supporting the soft timbres of Gracias a San Lorenzo. Tierra Amarilla has evocative, nocturnal brass and scratchy, turntable derived percussion, the brass drawing a few parallels towards Jóhann Jóhannsson’s The Miner’s Hymns.

La Farola has a steady drip drip of percussion, but also operates on a wider sonic scope, allowing the ear to choose between the two – a familiar characteristic of this music Soon some solemn brass intonation can be heard, taking on a mournful discourse towards the end. A substantial track, it is compelling from start to finish. Caminando has soft tones but the ticking clock adds urgency and momentum.

Does it all work?

Consistently. Headphones reveal the wide range of sounds and textures, while the longer musical structures are very satisfying in the way they evolve and stretch out. The range of colours and breadth of imagination are also deeply impressive.

Is it recommended?

Yes – a fascinating aural portrait but also a powerful and evocative sequence of music. Once youve spent time in the Chilean mine, a deep dive into the rest of Arthur King’s output is highly recommended.

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