Matthew Cooper (AKA Eluvium) explores the often traveled, but rarely mastered side of music, ambience. His debut, Lambent Material shows, that he is more than up for the challenge. Sounding something like (maybe?) a Brian Eno/Stars of the Lid collaboration, this album is a richly textured swell of sound and energy.
From the harsh fuzz of "Zerthis was a Shivering Human Image" to the soft swelling layers of "The Unfinished," the songs slowly wander twilight paths and shimmer with activity. Matthew paints his landscapes using guitars, piano, clarinet, some found sound, keyboards, (of course) some effects, and a keen ear for melodic interplay within a weave of tones. At just under 36 minutes long (over the course of 5 tracks), Lambent Material is an easily digestible daydream.
This album succeeds at the single most important thing in ambient music, which is that it can be enjoyed both in the fore and background. As the latter, it wraps the room in subtle warmth, pulsing slowly and allowing for pleasant peripheral enjoyment. When listened to carefully, it opens up into a detailed and deliberately constructed masterpiece.
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