The three tracks of Lauren Redhead’s Imagined Method come in just under 20 minutes in total. On it, she makes a concise statement and moves on, a commendable approach. Redhead is a UK-based electroacoustic composer and sound sculptor who, at least of late, focuses on choral music coupled with electronics. Her 2018 release, Hearmleoþ—Gieddunga, was remarkable and ranked high on our list of best albums for that year.
On this offering, she blends the aforementioned choral elements – which often come across in a quasi-liturgical or Gregorian manner – with electronics that tend to add consonance to the singing. The style of the vocalizations is reminiscent of Stockhausen, with human and synthesized sounds producing layers, waves, and hissings. On the final track the voices diverge to some extent, with speaking accompanying the singers and periodic crescendos. The electronics also take a larger and more idiosyncratic role, with the sonic manipulations exhibiting characteristics of noise walls.
All in all, Imagined Method is a nice way to spend part of your afternoon with an up and coming experimentalist.
Avant Music News 