Mystified

Artist: Mystified
P: 2009
"The fifty-minute Primal Mystification is the first release by Mystified (aka US ambient-electronic musician Thomas Park). Park is no novice, as he's collaborated with artists such as Nunc Stans (One Thousand Dreams, Dataobscura), Robin Storey (Rapoon), and Nigel Ayers (Nocturnal Emissions). The four tracks on Primal Mystification are restrained in character and induce a state of calm in the listener—which isn't to suggest they're uneventful, as there's lots of activity and detail on display. Likening the mercurial drone sounds to the emergence of human beings from the ‘primordial ooze,' Park shapes minimal elements (some of it created from field recordings) into ten-minute-plus settings of placid design using ringing ambient washes, willowy synthetics, elemental percussive patterns, and simple melodic phrases voiced by piano. In “Massive Turning,” elegant piano playing drapes itself across long-form droning tones anchored by a gently swinging rhythm track made up of acoustic-sounding percussive elements (hand drums, bells). “Departing Certainty” exudes a ghostly, even tribal quality in its crystalline swirls and cavernous rumble, while both “Not Knowing Where,” its nocturnal whistling tones animated by a midtempo rhythm track, and “Back to the Primal,” its ethereal shimmer augmented by Eastern-sounding percussive pulsations, are energized by comparison."

Artist: Mystified
P: 2020
On Yenisei Crossing sound adventurer Mystified (aka Thomas Park) presents a fearless and striking collection of sonic collages that explore the random yet cyclic nature of recorded looping sounds overlapping at different durations and tempos. The soundscapes, inspired by the Yenisei river that winds its way through the stark landscapes of Siberia, provide a constantly moving soundtrack generated from a surreal and haunting blend of pulsing acoustic percussion, real world events, and etherial atmospherics. Known for creating numerous works of abstract sonic art from field recordings, industrial drones, found sounds, and electronics, Mystified’s Thomas Park has always searched for meaning in chaos, combining seemingly random sound sources into sonic environments that challenge the sensibilities and redefine the experience of listening. On Yenisei Crossing, Park has taken this concept a step further, pioneering a new form of computer generated composition – one where the musician establishes possibilities before the computer is free to explore them endlessly. “For the first time, I am using a form of Generative/Iterative composing, which I have developed with original Python programming code,” Park explains. “This has enabled me to work with my computer in search of sound and rhythm combinations that would have been next to impossible for me to have found myself.” The process began with Park curating a large pool of sound sources that he transformed into elements ideal for iterating and mixing. Then the computer took over, layering the loops in different ways to create countless combinations which Park recorded in real time before he assembled the most interesting results into a collection that best fit the dreamlike feeling of his Yenisei Crossing vision. By using the computer as a generative compositional tool for the first time, Mystified’s Thomas Park has broken ground on a new creative process, exploring fresh artistic possibilities where soundscapes are no longer constrained by the direct choices of the artist. The resulting sonic tapestries of Yenisei Crossing are otherworldly and intense, propelling emotions forward on a relentless journey through the illusory landscapes of the mind.