Ben Swire | Equilibrium
Foundry | EP CD
"The EP (Extended Play) format has presented some of the most rewarding listening experiences over the years… Between the single and LP (Long Play) in length and scope, the EP allows ideas to be explored in some depth, but also benefits from a focus brought about by brevity."
Michael Bentley, The Foundry, 13 August, 2002
The first in a new series of EP releases by the excellent Foundry label, Ben Swire's 'Equilibrium' is a clear and concise statement perfectly suited to the EP format.
Four shortform tracks, each a melodic gem, Swire's careful compositions develop slowly, asserting themselves briefly only to dissolve away after they've insinuated themselves into your consciousness. Each of the tracks on 'Equilibrium' feels like part of a larger whole, each interlocking with the last and picking up the melodic threads of its predecessor like a musical game of Chinese Whispers.
'Interim' opens with five minutes of gently pulsing melodies, crackling rhythms and almost buried field recordings, before paving the way for the shimmering rhythms of 'Departure'. 'Knot' picks up with barely four minutes of clipped beats and reverberating static, easing into 'Score' a short, hollow coda to close.
Short, but sweet.
[CM]
