Continuing with the latest Ekhein batch...

KFW - Regaining Composure/Negating Freedom - Ekhein
In the last year or so, Keith Fullerton Whitman's output on cassette tape has lulled me into expecting releases of rigorous intensity--difficult but rewarding music. He used the medium to explore process-based pieces that spiraled through endless variations of tone and timbre, sprawling works largely without peer in the tape scene. Heady stuff for sure, but ultimately also very enjoyable when given the focused attention it deserved. Regaining Composure/Negating Freedom is a gentle reminder of his early works using the "Keith Fullerton Whitman" moniker--namely Playthroughs and to a lesser degree Multiples. The two side-long pieces are pairs in their mood of understated melancholy and use of relatively simple, sine wave-based textures. There is actually something a little naive and out-dated about the straight-forward quality of this music, which--being a person who grows tired of trends very, very quickly--comes as a pleasant surprise to these ears. Very enjoyable release; gentle, interesting music that is neither "cosmic" nor washed away in reverb. $7