Staff Reviews

William Basinski - A Shadow In Time

Review by Sam Cleeve

Among his most entrancing work»

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Basinski's first new release since 2015's Cascade & The Deluge. A Shadow in Time features Basinski's rare Voyetra 8 synthesizer for the first time since Watermusic. For David Robert Jones features two ancient tape loops from deep in the archive as a remembrance for the brilliant, legendary artist known as David Bowie. World-renowned as one of experimental music's most vital and impressionistic composers of the past few decades, William Basinski's tape loop works have been especially influential, particularly on the historic series, The Disintegration Loops, where distorted, orchestral tape samples burrow deep into the listener's psyche through meditative repetition. On his new album, A Shadow In Time, Basinski plunges deeper than ever for the plaintive, solitary eulogy to David Bowie, aptly titled For David Robert Jones. Conversely, the title track, A Shadow In Time, is a subtle, celestial escalation of melody and drone. The result is one of the most truly transcendent pieces of music he has ever committed to - or wrung from - tape. William Basinski is a classically trained musician and composer who has been working in experimental media for over 30 years in NYC and most recently, California. His epic 4-disc masterwork, The Disintegration Loops received international critical acclaim and was one of Pitchfork’s Top Albums of the Decade. Installations and films made in collaboration with artist-filmmaker, James Elaine have been presented in festivals and museums internationally, and his concerts are presented to sold-out crowds around the world.
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