Ümlaut - Musique de Film III

 Released: October 11

The third entry in his Musique de Film series, Connecticut-based composer Jeff Düngfelder’s latest work is much more expansive and varied than the greyed out tones of the artwork may suggest. There’s not really an overarching theme behind the entire album, but it is tied together by a sense of gazing into a vast distance. Not quite like the void of space but larger that the vast expanse of the plains here on Earth. Compositions go from dreary landscapes to a manor age of small but bright pinpoints of light that twinkle and reflect back to the listener, with some tracks effective combining both motifs like the rich and intricate “Permafrost.” This one stuck out to me as it maintains a certain icy atmosphere with a soft static-y drone while allowing the pinpoints of reflected light to dance around in the form of a beautiful piano piece. It even weighs the piano down intermittently with some somber strings and pads at times but keeps this unusual but incredible dual nature in its tone. 

The titles give some indication of what is being conveyed, but to me the function almost like a Rorschach - they give your mind a concept to latch onto but they never fully explain themselves. Ultimately, the imagery associated with each composition is variable and slightly contradictory. “Landscape” is a prime example here, giving us long and bright pads that evoke imagery of a sunrise that throws white light over what feels like like a truly alien world as the small beeps and gurgles rise up into the foray. “Mandala,” a word that evokes spiritualist geometry, comes across even more conflicting at times as it begins with a somewhat spooky atmosphere that slowly morphs into the more spiritual-tinged sound space one might expect only to revert to the more eerie ambiances back at the end. 

Overall, this entry in Düngfelder’s series is quite rich in its approaches and its tones. It contains many elements that feel grounded in the real world, representing something tangible and real. But then in combines these more natural tone with elements that feel strange, alien, or even unnerving. The complex experience is worth the listen, even if you do it one at a time. Either wya, it plays like a compendium of short and sometimes difficult to understand short films.