Pete Swinton – First Journey To Antarctica

I receive a double blessing for this release.  I have the privilege of pointing my readers to a wonderful boutique label out of Brazil called z0 who are producing quality experimental music, and I add to this the joy of introducing more music from Pete Swinton, whose work has really caught my attention (thanks, in part, to Jeff Gburek).

There are two tracks on this album.  The first, Blizzard In Antarctica, clocks in at 15 minutes, and is as cold and noisy as you would expect such a natural phenomenon to be.  It’s noise in a sense, but sculpted and shaped rather than blasted.  The second piece, Forty Degrees Below Zero, is a long, swelling piece of ambient drone which builds into a gentle cracking up of an ice shelf.  Enjoyable, especially for an experimental work.