VA - Distance (Sounds for an Empty Space) (2020)

The expanse, the microcosm, consciousness, time…

Drones can represent those aspects of existence that seem too large or abstract to fully comprehend. Drone music gives a sense of both stasis and evolution, provides a space for contemplation, enables a moment of oneness with the universe.

Over the last year Clan Analogue’s artists have looked within to find renewed sonic purpose. The result is Distance: Sounds for an Empty Space: ten drone compositions blending noise and meditation in equal measure.

Each artist provided their own unique sounds for an empty space. Sectoral’s epic modular synth perambulation is an inner journey through the empty streets of our cities. iubar project explores empathy through harsh ambience; Jennifer Lea’s contribution is a sonic blanket in a field. Nicole Skeltys creates a soundscape to accompany a monologue for a dying financial system. Michael Mildren builds on the epic synth drones of early 70s German electronic pioneers.

The sounds explored on Distance range from field recordings, to analogue synthesizers, ipad digitisation to modded antique computer soundcards.
City Frequencies sample and rework the noises cluttering cities in frequency ranges beyond our hearing. Zogam experiments with time-stretched guitar drones while WiLL-i-ROMS rewires the soundcards from early 80s arcade games to improvise layers of digital noise. Kazumichi Grime allows unconstrained pure oscillator tones and white noise hisses to build up into a wall of distortion and conflicting harmonics.

All the Clan Analogue artists contributing to Distance were encouraged to work free of any constraints of time or format. The result is the legendary Australian electronic music collective’s most abstract and expansive music yet.

Distance: Sounds for an Empty Space will be launched with the live-streamed event Drones for an Empty Space, an improvised five-hours of live drones and abstract electronic noise from nine artists on the album, taking place as part of the Melbourne Digital Fringe in the evening of Saturday, 28th of November.