If there’s one faith I can subscribe to, it’s the power of drone. And I could explain that, with the usual palette of signifiers—an eternally expanding universe, a suspended sunset, a flower blooming in real time. But the only way to fathom the magic of drone is to simply find a quiet place, close yr eyes, and wade into it as one would into the Red Sea, or a country brook from youth. Time and space will shift accordingly.
Those familiar with post-rock wanderers Of the Vine already know the vast expanses that multi-instrumentalist Samuel Laubscher can conjure. But as Hot Air Henry, he taps into primordial plains even wider, the fading horizons of rolling credit reels embraced by cult metal acts (Ulver, SUNN O)))) and modern classical composers (William Basinski, Roly Porter) alike. Here, the fluid trickle of piano that Laubscher tinkered with on 2013’s came and gone now hangs in a void of snarling guitar—and while that abyss could inhale the listener into oblivion, “Thought Loops” blossoms upward instead toward the sun.
But what does that look like, when the self submits utterly to that cosmic flow? The video above suggests a dance between serenity and ecstasy, as Erin Murray demonstrates before a shaky camera. Hers may be a clearly choreographed routine, but the unconsciousness spins and twirls beyond her, in the infinity that “Thought Loops” creates in the tiny studio above the Mammal Gallery. That’s the power of drone in action.
Thought Loops is available now on digital and on limited edition, hand-printed black and white cassette via Bandcamp.
More Info
Web: hotairhenry.com
Bandcamp: hotairhenry.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @HotAirHenry
Instagram: @HotAirHenry
SoundCloud: @hotairhenry