2024
John Duncan
Solo shortwave
Recorded and mixed at Pieve del Pino, Bologna
https://johnduncan.bandcamp.com/album/the-arbitrary-ziggurat
Having admired John Duncan‘s artistic assertions for three decades or so, it must be stressed that it’s the psychoacoustic investigations produced by him that have served as a kind of North Star for this writer. In particular, Duncan’s utilization of shortwaves in the compositional phase has resulted in works that epitomize a heightened awareness, be it a pinnacle of understanding or, conversely, a depth of unconsciousness. Those pieces can be regarded as exemplars for people who have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of intensive listening free from the constraints of analytical preconceptions, and have made it a central aspect of existence. Despite a duration of just over 28 minutes, The Arbitrary Ziggurat contains in its compact form the signs of an arguably unparalleled responsiveness. They provide clear directions, and the listener is tasked with following them in the most appropriate manner.
An initial noise resembling that of a jet engine gives way to a cluster of sounds occurring across inscrutable environments, and recalling symmetrical veins inside huge sheets of ice. After a brief period of time, the emergence of pulsation patterns within the accumulation of frequencies becomes manifest, as different cycles of reiteration intersect. In the holographic spectrum of perception, a not easily probed dimension gradually takes shape; it is evident that this process does not adhere to the laws of conventional harmony. The ear begins to discern details that, while adding to the acoustic density, also elicit a response from the brain, triggering mechanisms of involuntary imagination.
The third eye catches the anomalous light trails that persist in front; the left and right bands of the stereo panorama function as corridors for “guardians” whose voices appear to be significantly lower, more complex in coding and messages not readily discernible by a purely human logic. The overall effect is one of increasing pressure and perceptibility of sound waves, effectively negating any chance of relaxation: these entities demand complete absorption of their energy. The sensation of forward motion is difficult to articulate; nevertheless, it is not implausible to suggest a state of rational stasis, always desirable in such circumstances. This is the precise moment at which the necessity for perpetual silence and the simultaneous reception of hundreds of evolutionary stimuli converge, resulting in a peculiar sense of contentment among individuals already attuned to bodily detachment. The drones become increasingly pronounced, evoking echoes of warplanes; the images streaming in the virtual film all assume a uniform lead-gray hue. Notwithstanding the prevailing order amidst the turbulence, the sudden conclusion of the experience precludes the last possibility of meaningful interpretation.
Massimo Ricci, Touching Extremes