Under Over by Malcolm Pardon
Driven by a repetitive loop that takes the role of the songs heartbeat, Under Over addresses the feeling we all experience from time to time, where we all have to accept that every day can be a bit of a struggle. There are both highs and lows, and the best way forward is to be accepting of all the twists and turns.
[Taken from the new Album Flesh and Bones out November 7th]
Matching brooding, tense undercurrents of drone with strained soulfulness, Malcolm Pardon makes a notable shift in his creative approach on his third album. Where last years The Abyss on Leaf continued his piano-focused ambient studies, on Flesh & Bones the Stockholm-based artist has left his primary instrument behind to explore the richly varied tones lingering in the background of his past compositions. Drawing on the results of his live, improvised soundtrack to Gustaf Broms Kottinspektionen exhibition in Uppsala, Sweden, Pardon developed a haunting suite of compositions focused on texture and spatial processing, aided in the mixing process by long time collaborators Aasthma (Peder Mannerfelt and Par Grindvik). From Hidden Paths cavernous wells of low-frequency tone to Under Overs sustained synth-string blooms, Speaking In Tongues woozy two chord refrain to Fleshs nocturnal clamour, Pardons seasoned approach to dramatic scene-setting through sound leads the music into its own captivating, compelling sphere, where emotions entwine and conjure strange new plains of expression.
While he’s worked on many different projects over the years, there’s a common thread of cinematic poise linking Malcolm Pardon’s work. His most prominent work has been as one half of Roll The Dice alongside Peder Mannerfelt while he has also embarked on his own solo music projects with the release of Hello Death and The Abyss.