Zacharias Kraus
I didn't quite get it at first listen, but now that I gave it a few more tries I'm in love with the beauty of this album.
Favorite track: KOU / 口.
‘’之 / OF is a word that can be used as a preposition to express the relationship between a part and a whole. It is an unfinished tone, a broken sentence, a start and a whole. It is sustainable, full of potentials and longings.’’
London based performance and sound artist Li Yilei shared an experience familiar to many migrants during the past year of COVID-19 chaos. With their UK visa set to expire, and family back in China, Li made a last-minute dash to return to their nation of birth. Able to board one of the last few flights to China during the initial turmoil of the coronavirus outbreak, Li made it back to Shanghai for a two-week stint in a quarantine hotel.
Though Li had already begun creating OF, the reality of the pandemic began to seep into the recordings. Each of the 12 tracks is a study in horology, using metaphorical sound transcriptions and atmospheric extractions to focus on the temporal relationship between experience and surroundings. Li’s awareness of their own understanding of time became increasingly heightened during quarantine and the emotional involvement found within these new realities informed many of the sounds created.
‘’I tried to portray each song as a short, scattered poem - a moment that I captured to represent each hour.’’
Composed using analogue synthesisers, vocal samples, field recordings and string instruments such as the violin and guqin, Li indulges in moments of grief, panic, healing, cessation, melancholy, vastness, hope, joy and emptiness as they explore the acoustic relations between humans and the many forces of nature.
The art of the Song Dynasty, with its ancient traditions of poetry and timekeeping, were also great sources of inspiration for the album - whilst paintings from the period, specifically those of flowers and birds, are common themes throughout the tracks. Indeed, it is within the vastness of time that the album artwork comes to relevance. The eighth emperor of the Song Dynasty, Huizong, was a revered artist and a scene from his work ‘Finches and Bamboo’ adorns the album cover.
之 / OF is available from August 16 2021 in a limited pressing of 500 140gm vinyl in a natural translucent colourway. In support of the release Li has made a limited number of handmade xun (a traditional Chinese vessel flute used as far back as 7000 years ago) - these can be purchased from Metron Records bandcamp page.
credits
released August 16, 2021
Composed and produced by Li Yilei.
Mastered by Brandon Hocura.
Design by Jack Hardwicke.
Perfect meditative ambience. Great for a rainy day, taking a relaxing nighttime bath, or just placing yourself in 16th century Japan in some gnarled forest by the river. Thou!MirrorWitch
Even at 80 years old, Pharoah Sanders played his tenor sax with the conviction of a gospel preacher. Every second of this album is arrestingly beautiful. As far as I'm concerned, this is essential listening for anyone who considers themselves a fan of music. 3sidesinasquare
Sunlight
shimmers
through the trees
I know you remember
Moon under waves
or maybe it was just the way you were looking at me
waiting for me to take you in
with me
in
to me
Shiokazi
the scent of this now
the breeze of the sea
Morning is calm
The Sea speaks to me
saline tears
white capped fears
emptiness nears
as I can tell is
but a state of mind and if ever I find myself
under the Moon
again
with you
then together we will be
on this Moon Road
across Calm Seas
Betanagi
magoski
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