Meduse by Christi Denton first crossed my desk over six months ago, right after its release. I promptly put it into the “must review” folder, which apparently became the “forget about until the weather is warm” folder. This happens. Sorry. Nonetheless, this 30-minute effort is well worth the wait for anyone interested in electronic composition with a sprinkling of found-object noises and unusual instrumentation.
Captive/ate begins with oscillating drones, and then adds spiky electroacoustic burbles to the mix. Waves sweep in, as does a bassy sequenced line. Loops of loosely-actuated strings and percussive elements appear in interlocking figures. Ultimately, the patterns are repetitive, and the track is effectively a series of periodic compositions that morph and fade into one another.
Toybox features high-end plucked strings in an almost conventional sounding duet. Distorted, on the other hand, lives up to its name with more object percussion, bell-like sounds, and extended techniques applied to what sounds like it could be a stringed instrument.
Portland-based Denton was trained at Mills College and Center Iannis Xenakis in France. Thus, her overall sound is reminiscent of GRM-based artists but with a unique and personal flair. She also works with sound installations, which further informs this work. Highly recommended.
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