Jonathan Glen Wood (self-released)
That rare balance between quality and quantity is a tough one to maintain, but with the release of “on remembering,” his third in four months, Jonathan Glen Wood proves that he can deliver. Here, Wood offers two tracks (one clocking in at 31:20, the other at 28:39), both haunting ambient meditations, vocal-less to be sure, that emanate like distant waves of fog, a stark contrast to his previous output. There is a quiet, all-encompassing mystery to the proceedings that causes an almost trance-like feeling, the likely target for music of this variety and one that lulls the audience into a passive and serene state. What’s interesting is how Wood gets here despite the heavy occurrence of minor or dissonant keys, as the music still manages to remain inviting regardless of its rather ominous qualities. Both tracks, “The Body” and “The Mind,” offer furtive, if exploratory, synth work that requires deep contemplation.
This article appears in March 4, 2015.