Just shy of a decade since ‘No Solace In Sleep’ left ripples of excitement in the drone/ ambient genre, Aarktica (N.Y artist Jon DeRosa) emerges once more to enthral and sooth in equal measure with the newest release, In sea.
Taking advantage of both artistic moniker and track title, In Sea begins with ‘I Am (The Ice)’; a fluid and textured composition as cold and isolating as it is serene and peaceful, conjuring the arctic tundra within the mind’s eye much like ‘No Solace…’ did so many years ago.
‘Lymz’ follows suit also, reinforcing the influence of Terry Riley’s ambient album ‘In C’ (skilfully homaged by DeRosa’s latest album’s name) while ‘A Plague of Frosts (In the Guise of Diamonds)’ creates a remorseful milieu of drone composition that feels at times like a lament for the environmental crisis of the world at large.
Adding a strong post rock sound into the foray, ‘Onward!’ provides a subtle but refreshing change of pace though still fits well within the resonant atmosphere of tracks that came before it, much like ‘Corpse Reviver No.2’ that pushes the moodier side of In Sea to its outer limits, conjuring a morose and wounded ambience that echoes through the air with commanding poignancy.
For nine years DeRosa has been said to have suffered a grandiose lack of artistic inspiration, a terrible thing indeed for not only fans but for the artist himself who first took up the experimentations in order to express audibly how his hearing had been effected after nerve damage. Moving from N.Y to California seemed to make the difference and with tracks such as ‘Hollow Earth Theory’ you can hear the laidback and cool shoe gaze suited to California’s temperament shine through. However, still standing prominently in Aarkitca’s work are barren and tranquil audio environments more suited to arctic scenery of the North Pole and for most of In Sea, DeRosa successfully transports you there.
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