City Of Dawn & zakè (扎克) - Tape Hymns (2022)

Tape Hymns is a mesmerizing amalgam of sounds carefully crafted by frequent collaborators zakè and City of Dawn. The warm hiss of analog tape as the foundational structure of these arrangements brings forth pastoral mediations with becalmed, atmospheric intent. Tape Hymns mix echoing sonic tones, slow-drifting sounds with immersive low-end frequencies.

Rather than linger in the imperfections of media, the duo pursues an attention to fidelity that forces them to get the fine details just right. Tape Hymns is a convincing display of just how much can be done within a relatively strict conceptual framework.

One of the joys of drone in forms tied to ambient electronica is the deceptive sense of depth - refrains often hang on a single central tone but float, glide and flow in a manner that creates textured soundscapes on such a huge scale it is rarely far from the mind's eye. These arrangements are case in point, offering plenty of calm but complex scores primed for the self-reflective moments in time we spend considering the beauty of our world.