RICHARD YOUNGS – New Emptiness CD

Similar to 2021’s ‘Iker’ album on Fourth Dimension, this CD album idea sprang into life following our hearing some of Richard Youngs’ experiments with loops and tones online and, subsequently, a few discussions via email about such music, its shortcomings, its appeal and, indeed, how it can be pushed into new spaces. Which is exactly what the pieces on ‘New Emptiness’ do. Each one of the five compositions here may use tones or oscillating loops as something of a starting point, but true to form Richard Youngs teases each one into new shapes where different shading applies as well as an unexpected rhythm or, on final cut ‘Annulus II’, his manipulated voice enter the fray.

Anybody familiar with Richard Youngs’ work, now spanning a few decades, will be aware that it can go all over the place, from avant-folk, ‘noise’ or hybrid forms of electronica and drone music. Fourth Dimension Records has long championed his work yet generally pushes the more uneasy listening ends of it. ‘New Emptiness’ might not sit quite so uneasily, but drawing from both the avant-garde of contemporary minimalist music and his own tendency not to settle for half-measures, it is still an album that requires a little sweat oozing from the ears of the listener.

Presented in a similar manner to ‘Iker’ (which is still available – there are around 20 copies left here!), it’s an album that likewise sprang from spontaneity.

300 only.

Sion Orgon mastering.

TRACKS

Ramasites
Chiral Earth II
Annulus I
Chiral Earth III
Annulus II