Faint Structures by Circa Alto

Circa Alto is a project from Copenhagen-based artist Mathias Lystbæk, who is a composer and multi-instrumentalist. He has released music through labels such as Fluid Audio/Facture, ROHS!, Slowtone Collages, Phncrs, Adventurous Music and his own label, A Quiet Room Recording. He previously released a digital-only EP for Whitelabrecs called 'Floatings' as 'This Floating World'. He is also a part of the EQS Ensemble and MM Works, as well as collaborating with Japanese musician K Nogami on Fluid Audio.

Mathias grew up in a musical home, learning guitar and drums from an early age before learning to play other instruments such as flute, clarinet, piano and cello. His approach to composition draws its inspiration from other artforms, such as paintings, graphics, movies and installations. He utilises an improvised approach to recording, using many instruments and embracing faults along the way, to enable this to become part of the process in the final composition, where possible.

‘Faint Structures’ is the debut full length album by Circa Alto for Whitelabrecs, and Mathias wanted to make the record intuitively. The aim was to create a flow of consciousness throughout the record and allow it to just breathe, getting across the calm and unhurried sensations felt when it was created. For each piece, Mathias selected no more than two core sound-sources; ‘For Reeds’ was based around clarinet and lightbulb, ‘For Lamellae’ used a home-made screw and lamellophone, ‘For Alloy’ was crafted using a bowed cymbal. Then ‘For Resonance’ used a violin and guitars before the album closes with ‘For Argent’, centred around flute.

Whilst some outboard effects were used during the recording phase, limited processing was applied to the instruments within post-production, with EQ, panning and an overall mix of sound levels being the only treatment. This gives ‘Faint Structures’ a feeling of presence, framed within time itself and becoming part of the listener’s own environment. Mathias is also a graphic designer and put together the album packaging design for this album, working with French contemporary artist Laurent Masoero for the cover artwork.

whitelabrecs.com

Whitelabrecs is a record label from Lincolnshire (UK) established in 2016, specialising in highly limited runs of vinyl-effect CDrs and digital-only editions. The label is managed by its founder Harry Towell, who records music as Glåsbird.

The label's discography focuses on contemporary Ambient music, including Drone, Modern Classical and Electro Acoustic.

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