Jacaszek - Glimmer

Morning all. I feel tremendously fresh today - the weather is crisp; I've been for a jog; and I'm on holiday all of this week. This gives me the opportunity to write some short pieces about some of the new music I have been listening to recently.

First up: Jacaszek.

Michał Jacaszek is a Polish electroacoustic musician who makes cinematic soundscapes using a combination of both electronic and acoustic instruments. Jacaszek's latest record Glimmer is one of the most exciting ambient records I've heard in a while. It's no secret that my musically critical mantra is simply 'do something interesting', which can understandably be somewhat difficult for ambient music. This is one of the main reasons why I am fanatical about ambient. When something is produced that is magnificent yet seemingly so sparse in activity, it should be revered. Glimmer falls in to that camp.

I also love the fact that Glimmer has a truly signature sound yet is uncompromisingly progressive. At times the record stoops to a macabre solemness and elsewhere it's reassuringly warm. Despite this variety, the use of classically baroque sounds such as the harpsichord and clarinet stamp Jacaszek's Eastern European watermark all over the record. The entire album is eerily beautiful and picking out highlights is somewhat nonsensical. However the cacophonous crescendos of the track Evening's Strains To Be Time's Vast - which ultimately conclude in an almost inauspicious way - is a stand-out moment for myself.