Chelidon Frame - Flatline Voyages

Released: March 29

Known for his extremely atmospheric and abstract compositions, Chelidon Frame brings another album that takes this recurring motif to a new level with Flatline Voyages. From the opening track, there is a very specific kind of tension that is present throughout all nine movements. It's a kind of tension that is slow-simmering, explicitly ambiguous, and formlessly apparent with the smallest moments of relief that are so short lived that they seem to add to the discomfort more than detract. "_line Voyages" begins our delve into these atmospheric tenterhooks with a stretched out and fuzzy drone that is accompanied by an unrelaxed yet faint rhythm. Later on we begin to hear barely decipherable speech that has been processed in various ways, which sets up a theme in the album. 

This recurring theme is solidified in the next track "Speaking Voids I" as a beeping signal similar to Morse code introduces itself to us. This is when it began to dawn on me that this album is all about signals, communications, and other manners in which information is shared. But where this theme becomes something uncomfortable is the overlapping methods and messages that create confusion and disorientation. This strange discordance develops as beeps, words, and errant pieces of inappropriately upbeat music from radio signals compete for the space in which they can be heard. This dynamic is especially present in "Vacancy (Speaking Voids III)" as the signals become more and more discordant with music and languages from a vast array of countries, regions, and cultures all intersect in messy fashion while those little Morse beeps persist. It's all such a messy but eerily beautiful collection of movements.