hyacinth - still waters run deep

 

Released: January 15

Though better known for his more melodic and beat-driven sonic vignettes, still waters run deep sees hyacinth explore the realms of dream-like long-form ambient tracks that bring in a wide range of influences and bring forth an amalgam of smoke-filled landscapes. The album consists of four distinct pieces that explore various motifs, all of which are relatively unclear and possess an aesthetic of being surrounded by a thick haze that doesn't allow for a clear picture, instead relying on the listener to fill in the gaps to define hat they are experiencing. Even with all this haziness, hyacinth still manages to insert these strange moments of clarity throughout the runtime, moments that call back to the more melodic variations of his work but only last for a few seemingly short moments. 

There are hints to this melodic and daydream-y sound throughout as we hear it breifly at the end of the first track, "walking, walking, singing,"  and even less so at the end of "in communion with the gods." BUt the first (and seemingly only) real moment of clarity comes right around the last few minutes of "shoadow memories," in which the heavy atmosphere of found sonics and cloudy tones washes away to give air to quietly played keys the ring out with a slightly bright tone and a feeling of a dull ache. It is as if even this bright spot is not allowed to shine fully among the murkiness of the surrounding atmosphere. Following this moment, we are taken right into "machine age noise," a track absent any of these brief bright spots and wholly consumed by the mechanical noises of our industrial age supplements by deep and dark drones.