First, the packaging: Tim Wisniewski (who also runs tape label sPLeeNCoFFiN, and yes, capitalization is absolutely important, I checked) nestled this one, a follow-up to his debut Comfort Link release, inside a re-purposed accordion file folder outfitted with some nice collage art. Sure, commendable for its green methods of construction, but the aesthetic is also indicative of the sounds you’ll hear on this very strange musical personality’s tapes, and “The Complex Moods of…” is no exception, as the release reflects Comfort Link’s ability to recycle a dusty-brown set of sound sources through an analog tape loop/effect conduit. Wisniewski weaves old easy listening records, open reel tapes, ambient background sounds re-recorded from old films, and sounds of the magnetic recording process itself into a subdued drift, stitching it all together with dental floss to reveal a patch-worked quilt of colorful and, yes, very moody drone. Things shift from mechanical to organic with a long fluid sweep leaving you in a completely different spot by the end of each side from where you began, although that journey itself, when looked back upon, is like a weirdly blurry and instantly-forgotten memory. This latest tape is a bit on the bleaker end of what I’ve heard Wisniewski come up with, these tapes winding and grinding themselves down into a dank and dimly lit place that almost has a sickly after-effect. You can see it: the visors and bow ties, blue collars toiling away at oily machines under the light of a hot lamp. It’s uncomfortable, but ultimately inevitable, and necessary; Comfort Link is the loops of life.
More about: Comfort Link
