Tremble With Joy - >Born Trembling<

Tremble With Joy is a new collaboration between Cinder (Cindytalk), Michael Anderson (Drekka), Mark Trecka, and Michael Carlson (remst8), and the first in a series of limited edition CD releases from False Walls, including visual artwork by David Caines and letterpress packaging by Hellbox Letter Foundry. >Born Trembling< started with Mark Trecka's prepared piano and harmonium cassette loops which were passed to Drekka and manipulated during a live performance, those results which would be passed on to Michael Carlson for further altering before Cinder Flame completed the recordings resulting in 2 expansive tracks involving field recordings and experimental electronics. Naturally due to its recording process it becomes difficult to point to who provided what but the results are fluid, multi-layered compositions combining real world elements with abstract experimentation.

Opening to the lilting spoken voice of the late Scottish poet and filmmaker Margaret Tait, with the chirp of crickets throughout, 'Where We Are Is Here' emerges so slowly to a brooding drone accompanied by sparse, disembodied piano notes. It then unfurls in an unhurried manner with the gentle glinting drone scattered with distant knocks, shudders and processed textures, its sense of foreboding heightened by the sound of footsteps as the drone coalesces, sighing and wavering and delicately stretches out over a 20-minute duration adorned with micro tones and subtle manipulations.

Drone and birdsong are also constants throughout the second track, 'Our Birds Live Fraught With Danger', but opening to the radiant chime and plink of strings this becomes more propulsive and enveloped in a rush of rising noise crescendoes. Layered with skittery manipulations and a series of sound elements including indistinct clatter, the engine whoosh of a passing plane it slowly forges an intriguing subtle interplay between the plucked prepared piano strings, capturing an elusive dreamlike melody. From underneath whirring manipulations arise and morph into a gush of rushing airy static and further on into a blistering sheet of white noise draped in mournful organ chime surging once more into a wave of crackling intensity akin to the sound effects of a nuclear explosion before receding into rattling metallic textures, the distant chatter of children playing and tiny ripples of piano notes, leaving only the chirp of birdsong. Perhaps, and I know this is against its anonymous collaborative intention, those familiar with Cindytalk's Subterminal release might consider it a complementary piece to 'We Fly Away With The Birds'; it certainly shares an affinity in sounds.

This is an album of quiet understated beauty. Both tracks are imbued with an alluring presence; the myriad of evolving, entwining sounds woven with field recordings creating something nostalgic, haunted and mysterious but not in an obvious way. >Born Trembling< is the result of a collaborative process where each participant in turn added their contribution. Given the number of artists involved it could have been overwrought but the concurrent sound layers are deftly pieced together and this is a wondrous beguiling listen from all involved. >Born Trembling< is released digitally and as CD in an edition of 300 in a beautifully housed letterpress edition from False Walls Bandcamp