Growing’s contribution to this double bill, "Firmament," opens with bubbles of sound resting on muted drones. It evolves into a somber, minimalist piece that gurgles slightly as it floats along – not really too far from of the sound Growing has become known for on their Kranky and Troubleman Unlimited efforts. As the lesser known of the two, former member of Get Hustle Mark Evan Burden contributes a sprightly number, which also doesn’t fail to impress. "10 24 02" begins with chirping animal noises that are soon interrupted by thundering, high pitched piano. Sailing around the piano and invoking the warped classicisms of Cecil Taylor, it gets fairly romantic once things settle to a more distinguishable melody. Throughout "10 24 02," Evan Burden’s piano parts are joined by various manipulations, from subtle pulses of sound to a haunting filter which adds an element of darkness to the whole affair.
The difference between the two is quite striking, yet both Growing and Evan Burden share a healthy respect for elegant dissonance and understand how use landscapes of sound, and thus this release somehow works. Both also bow to tradition and feed off modernist tension and romantic brooding in equal measures. In Growing’s case, one can point to Tony Conrad, La Monte Young and Brian Eno, while on Evan Burden’s track we hear traces of Cecil Taylor, Phillip Glass and Steve Reich.
Both artists have found their boundaries and limits, and have become pretty comfortable with a certain sound. The result is something very focused and well executed, but somehow there aren’t quite enough surprises for these ears. Nevertheless, if you are in the mood for a well-researched dissertation on post-millennium tension, you know where to look.
