013 - VVV - When the Night Air Leaves

Have you ever watched someone play an instrument seemingly at random?  The notes don’t make any sense and are hardly musical.  Amateur musicians do this often to figure out what sounds good and what does not.  Master musicians do this with intent.

I get this image of walking down an abandoned hallway with a lone guitar playing from one of the rooms.  The notes heard are hardly musical at first.  Then - seemingly without effort - the notes begin to coalesce into something familiar, something less alien to our ears.  Without even truly noticing what has happened, the musician has transformed these seemingly random notes into a vast musical buffet for our ears to feast on.

This isn’t too far removed from my own experience with VVV’s album When The Night Air Leaves.  Honestly the first few seconds of the album are a hot mess.  The guitar used is playing random notes and some other stringed instruments are just doing their own thing.  It’s here that the genius of VVV comes in.  A beat distracts the listener from the stringed instruments and before you know it everything has lined up into a multilayered wall of sound where everything has its place.  Lasting only 90 seconds, VVV packs the track full of sounds that are found throughout the album: deep, layered compositions, strong beats, and ambience.

There are many recurring themes that VVV toys with throughout the album. One such theme is this fascinating idea of pairings: songs throughout the album that share a similar sound and structure.  In VVV’s own words: ”...many of the songs created here were made as pairs, and they are segmented throughout the release.”

Fall Had Left its Mark and True Sight both share prominent usage of female vocals and a pleasant beat, with True Sight acting as the evolution of the previous track.  The title track and And The Shape Vanished From the Window both have an ambient feel, not too far removed from classic dreampunk.  The Supplementals and Primeval Source both contain layers of depth and interwoven treasures hidden below a dominant beat.  

It's on these last two songs in particular where VVV’s songwriting really comes to shine.  In each of these songs there are multiple layers of instrumentation that are intricately crafted and molded.  All of the intricacies are easily missed however for one simple factor: the beat.  The percussion used on these songs is the most driving and commanding of the listeners attention throughout  the album.  

By combining these two opposing forces, the listener is given one or two options: passive or active listening.  On a casual listen the songs have a very nice groove to them and some neat melodies that are sprinkled throughout.  On a deeper dive the observer is rewarded with layers of melodies and sounds that are hidden deep in the mix.  VVV confirms this: “These songs were optimized for headphones, with many ubiquitous textures and sound effects that accompany each theme accordingly for those willing to dive in with cans.”  

This sense of opposing forces a secondary theme.  No matter the track, there is this near constant struggle for dominance in the songs by different elements.  In Interwoven Cells this is displayed front and center.  There is this noisy, distorted arpeggio that starts the song that has an off-putting quality compared to the rest of the album.  The arpeggio is quickly sequestered to the background and in its stead we are left with music similar to the previous songs.  

It’s only on very close inspection that the listener realizes that the initial arpeggio has never truly left the song.  It’s buried deep in the mix creating a sort of tension that can easily be missed.  VVV explains: “Everything I make has intentions, I also like to inject sounds I dislike intentionally. Meaning that I bury filtered or unfiltered  sounds that I don’t like into the song.”

When the Night Air Leaves is rewarding on both a casual listen and deep dive.  I found myself doing much of both prior to writing this review.  I knew I enjoyed the album while listening casually but it wasn’t until I truly took my time with the album that I understood why.  The album offers layers upon layers of instrumentation, samples, and beats to dig through should you want to.

That said, the album is entirely consumable as background music or as something to pass the time with.  Throughout the album the theme of duality comes across.  Be it the competing forces as seen on Interwoven Cells or the pairings of songs found throughout the album.  It is only fitting then that the listening experience - be it intense concentration or a casual whim -  would mimic this.  

Authors Note
If you enjoy this album or similarly styled works from VVV, pay close attention to No Problema later this year.  You will not be disappointed.  

Equipment Used

Computer, d-50, ob6, midi, tape deck, akg mics & a semi-modular Phenol.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to VVV for taking the time to speak with me about his album and Blissmonkey for editing and promotion.