Somehow expressing the inexpressible, Normandy Falls (or Norman L. Kaweck III on his W-9) combines the thrill of space flight as filtered through the lens of science fiction with the unfathomable ambience of an eternally expanding universe. Arrangements of the Cosmos is a song cycle of liftoff and splashdown, and every amazing adventure and awe-inspiring panorama in between. What may make it even more impressive is that it “was created entirely using a Eurorack Modular system, live in one take, with no overdubs.”
Speaking of space flight, I wonder what would happen if Elon Musk applied this philosophy of improvisation to SpaceX instead of the one rooted in the scientific method, jotting down notes willy nilly in the midst of a fevered drinking sesh at Buffalo Wild Wings during a Clippers game instead of at a top-secret laboratory. Would Falcon Heavy’s successor even get off the ground? Would Musk have already blown up the earth due to a quantum whoopsy?
OK, so I probably wouldn’t start the ignition sequence on any spacecraft designed via improv, but that’s not the point. The point is that Kaweck has vision, has imagination, and has heart — the exact three ingredients that you inject into your favorite space-themed electronic/post rock/ambient/soundtrack cycle. And it’s a perfect fit for Texas label Aural Canyon, which is a self-styled “deep ambient, drone hazing, sound bathing, healing organization.” In other words, do NOT listen to Arrangements of the Cosmos without some tripped-out VR program or headphones. You won’t get the full experience of this gorgeous planetarium-wave without the proper gear.
I’m gonna be honest here, though — I’m not sure I get the t-shirt design. Although it might just be me; I’ll at least give ol’ Norman that.
Fifty cassette copies available NOW from Aural Canyon. Stream below.
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