Magnetic Dreaming
Triio
ER ER005 (alexfournier.bandcamp.com)
Extended plays can often be too concise, tapering off right as they begin, inviting a listener too late to an event that had long reached its peak. Triio’s Magnetic Dreaming follows you from the beginning, immediately arresting by means of hypnosis; vibraphone suggestions over chill-inducing ambient guitar swells. The music itself is a six-part suite – recorded during the sessions of last year’s longer Six-ish Plateaus – and rather than sounding like an accessory, it absolutely flourishes on its own terms. Its form is said to be influenced by “dream logic,” which is almost a perfect description of these woozy yet gentle transitions between states of consciousness. Each passage blends into the next with incredible patience, leaving one to float between its many dimensions, completely oblivious to where they just arrived from.
Alex Fournier’s steady bass intro on the climactic What Cycle or Identity, in Lie Group or Waking sounds like it’s emanating from the core of the Earth, creating a strong sense of unease that clenches the gut. As Stefan Hegerat’s drum groove borders increasingly on live turntablism, Bea Labikova and Naomi Carroll-Butler’s dual saxophone-clarinet attack remains steadfast; apocalyptic whispers piercing through a warm film noir fog. Tom Fleming (guitar) and Michael Davidson (vibraphone) lay an intoxicating foundation on the EP’s intro that, when scrubbing through each track, flows into each subsequent second supernaturally, with every drone feeling like a return flight to the mothership.
