It’s no secret that Niagara/Toronto-based Vacancy Recs. is one of my favorite labels right now. This new batch as much as any other underscores what they’re all about: a C100/double-CD of material from stalwart in-house project Sick Days, Luigi Bilodo’s follow-up to last year’s beloved debut, a “home-spun” sampler cassette of dubbed whale sound recordings… and then this. Much like Bilodo’s sophomore offering, it is simply titled II, but whether I was their half of the Sound_00 + Lefterna split earlier in the Vacancy catalog or something else, I’d never heard Fort Erie project PORTAL before. Which might be some—but definitely not all—of the reason this tape blew me away. Reflecting many of the other roster artists’ interest in near-static meditations, each track is essentially a wall in terms of progression. The A side mesmerizes with the drone of an industrial HVAC unit, burrowing ever deeper into that deceptively complex sound that’s both cold and warm, even as signs of life start to soak the edges. A subtle electroacoustic element gradually reveals itself, enhancing the natural ebbs and flows of flora and fauna. That same element is not so subtle on the B, but that’s not a bad thing. Far from it, in fact; this is truly breathtaking music, in a way that’s both immediate and patient. Meticulous processing and layering makes for an intricate soundscape with the immersive skitter-scatter of IYS and the organic force of Prepared Rain. Just wonderful work. I already know II is never going to be far from the deck this year (and beyond).
Noise Not Music 