Mutable Set
Blake Mills
2020
Noise is a rib of experimental music, yet I find myself increasingly drawn to quiet music, or rather, noise with a quiet atmosphere.
I would like to call "Mutable Set" experimental music, but I'm more concerned with why people listen to music and why they choose a particular piece. When I was studying music, one of our assignments (and I believe this is true for all music students) was to discern the layers within music—to identify each instrument, whether it was a double bass, trumpet, synthesizer, or guitar. But when it comes to listening to music, it's about the whole experience.
Experimental music, or what I refer to as ambient music, fundamentally presents the concept of an atmosphere. "Mutable Set" reflects Blake Mills' experimental tendencies, as he creates a "vacuum" by incorporating sound experiments into his role as a guitarist. A prime example is the interlude in "Money Is The One True God," where Blake's deep voice repeats itself amidst the guitar and mixing, with a subtly clear piano sound occasionally overlaying it, creating a mysterious effect. Then, unpredictably, the vocals return to the forefront, and against a dusky backdrop, his voice becomes more prominent, capturing attention.
"Summer All Over" reinforces the concept of noise with the quiet atmosphere I mentioned earlier; the noise here is amplified to the point where it almost overshadows Blake's vocal expression. "Vanishing Twin" is the core of the album, where the experimental tendency becomes very open, even evident from the start. As the track progresses, you can feel the layers growing thicker, yet also increasingly blurred, with the mixing elongating the vocals. All of this builds towards a restrained climax in the latter half, ultimately returning to a blank slate amidst hums and abstraction.
12 June 2021