Hands down this is one of the most inspiring records I’ve heard in a long time.
–Dave Allison, CMM
Hands down this is one of the most inspiring records I’ve heard in a long time. The record takes you into another place and state of mind and i highly recommend listening to it as one coherent album with no distractions but obviously you can enjoy it however you’d like. Gonze has created an experience as much as they’ve created an album and it’s one I look forward to returning to time and time again.
Lucas Gonze makes futuristic tones with a century-old mandolin. Gonze’s meditative, ambient work, which he calls “space music,” ambles in the slow lane. Less is more and the microphone captures his breathing toward the end of the ghostly video. The piece sounds like large insects flitting in slow motion.“This pairing is so ludicrous,” Gonze says. “But it works because emotionally, the music paints a picture and they gave it a narrative.”
Dead Man’s Hands by Playing in Tongues is a calm, cinematic instrumental that merges traditional acoustic timbres with experimental electronic processing. Opening with ambient textures built from string tones and spacious delay effects, the track gradually unfolds into a layered soundscape with clear folk-inspired undertones. At the core of the piece is a 100-year-old mandolin, pushed through analog delay (the Fairfield Meet Maude) into subtle self-oscillation. The result is a rich blend of acoustic resonance and controlled feedback, giving the piece both warmth and unpredictability.
–Frequency State
Lucas Gonze is restless and a bit of a tripper, I like him. Inspirations come from the folk music played in the family home, jazz, punk, avant-classical, shoegaze, audio animatronics, music concrete and field recordings. He’s analogue, he’s tech curious and capable, he’s been East Coast, he went West Coast and now he’s back in rural New York. He’s also just released a great album. The album is a trip and a half, and sounds like lots of things and not a lot else at the same time. I’m now following this singular artist with interest.