A Discourse of Mist

In his novel The Buried Giant, Kazuo Ishiguro describes a mist of forgetfulness descending on the people, obscuring memory but not distorting historic truth. In contrast, Marc Barreca finds inspiration for the pieces of A Discourse Of Mist, not in forgotten truths but false science, false elements and a history of rumor, conjecture and untruth. Beyond Barreca’s frequent exploration of obscure images, the subjects here are not simply obscure but literally false. Unexpectedly melodic, elegant, wide-ranging in tempo and coloration, A Discourse Of Mist exposes a haze of untruth within a deeply layered soundstage. Intriguing sonic images emerge from a vibrant alchemy: manipulated rich audio strata; hundreds of translucent layers; handbuilt samples; synthesizer-based loops; contrasts in light and dark merged as a beautiful, false world construct. These sculpted, coherent, short-form pieces foster a narrative of clarity over misconception, comprehension over misunderstanding, reality over falsehood. “Widescreen, pastoral visions of ambient music by West Coast US pioneer Marc Barreca of Savant esteem.