"In Which One May Descend" is only $15.00CAN plus shipping and taxes where applicable!

listen to
Deposition of a Layer

Alan Bloor has long been one of my favorite artists in the experimental/improvisational genre, a truly distinct talent who's work is breathtakingly unique. Creating sculptures from random metal pieces and using their inherent sound and resonance to play them as instruments, he makes some of the most incredible work I've ever heard, emotional, engaging and strangely organic despite the soundsource.

With the release of "In Which One May Descend" under his project Pholde (a quieter less processed exploration of metal's charms as opposed to his extreme noise project Knurl), Alan has once again tapped into a world of previously unheard music and charms. Featuring two long form tracks recorded live without overdubs ("To the Exclusion of the Alternative" and "Deposition of a Layer"), the disc fully captures the essence and ideal of Alan's work. Through light scraping and bowing of the sculpture used for this recording, "To the Exclusion of the Alternative" features a steady drone-like undertone over which occasional sounds rise and fall in an almost fluid way, building in number until they take control of the piece and move it in new directions. "Deposition of a Layer" follows a similar path, but remains unique in it's flow and arrangement, enabling the listener to imagine different environments and atmospheres specific to itself.

Beautiful and unique, the work of Pholde never ceases to delight and inspire me. "In Which One May Descend" continues in this vein, and is a work of truly engaging music that will delight fans of Alan's previous work and will hopefully draw attention to more people who are willing to open their ears to new sounds and ideas. Highly recommended.

rik - ping things