[reviews] afe123lcd
mathieu ruhlmann: as a leaf or a stone

Mathieu Ruhlmann's "As a Leaf or a Stone" is as cinematic as it is intellectual with its perfectly formulated droning and clatter that's able to entice me, even being the most distracted listener when it comes to free forming and experimental sound the abstracted ambiance is flowingly musical without rhythm or melody.

Frequently there are moments that purchase my attention with the unexpected sounds one might make using non-instruments, and often enough to entertain will the shifts in textures appear right as you are gratified by the sound work contained within these six tracks. I cannot offer too much insight on the context or the themes of this release as it would seem by its poetic excerpts and my inability to identify the objects used to create this sound that there is more than what greets the listener at first listen.

Throughout its duration the presence of crackling, friction from moving blunt objects across blunt objects, and detectable hints of elongated buzzes decorate the otherwise airy canvas. Despite its quiet qualities this release is nothing short of dynamic, as the sounds chosen to project its intent excite if you follow closely and what comes next is the dimensional shift of silence after hearing a second ambiance.

[S. Antonio]