In 2002
Taylor Deupree said goodbye to glitchy pastures and headed for more organic territory with the definitive
Stil, the dreamy soundscapes of 2004's January and several collaborations; most notably with labelmates
Christopher Willits and
Kenneth Kirschner, as well as Japanese ensemble Eisi for an album length reconstruction project. So it's no surprise that every experiment that he's attempted throughout the past four years has led to
Northern, a beautiful six song treatise inspired by the quiet countryside
Deupree has chosen to reside in (he recently moved from Brooklyn to more rural settings). This transition finds
Deupree entirely abandoning the vocabulary of crisp, ear jarring highs and sub sonic bass to more textured, organic instrumentation. Throughout
Northern, he quietly weaves a tapestry of atmospheres and textures through structured improvisation that recall the emotion and stillness of
Stil. and January without becoming predictable and tiresome. The level of discipline while layering the sounds upon one another (especially during the album's closer "November"), all the while maintaining a reverence for silence that is similar to opening movement of the
Joe Zawinul/
Miles Davis classic "In A Silent Way." The serenity and beauty of this album has few rivals in the electronic music world and by the time the final notes rain down, finding a record that can stand up against
Northern is no easy task to undertake. Quite easily one of the best albums, electronic or otherwise, of 2006. ~ Rob Theakston