Electronic musician Erik Wøllo joins tribal-trance percussionist Byron Metcalf for an elegant album weaving melodic, vibrant soundscapes with subtle, grounding rhythms.
Earth Luminous stirs the memory on an outing through luminescent electronic ambient music where the ethereal is anchored and activated by steady, tactile frame drums and percussive patterns. Byron’s tight-to-the-grid substratum pulse serves as a conduit to Erik’s lush, emotive and expansive atmospheres. Together, the two sonic explorers find a meeting place where vapor trails and glowing man-made cityscapes reveal that we, the modern humans, are the ones who bring into existence the enlightened earth: our explorations illuminate to bring cascading insight.
Erik and Byron met at SoundQuest Fest 2010 hosted by Steve Roach in Tucson, AZ. Although they did not have the opportunity to perform together, they were impressed with each other’s sets and discussed the idea of collaborating on an album. After five years working on their own solo music, the duo reconnected to record this hybrid collaboration between continents and cultures. The pieces bring together a vast selection of synthesizers and electric guitars mixed with various acoustic hand drums and percussion instruments. Seven of the eight tracks were composed via audio files exchanged from Norway to Arizona and back again; while “Linked Stars,” the final and most spacious track, was recorded live in Byron’s studio in Arizona.
Erik says: “My original vision with this project was to combine my etheric elements with grounded and reality-oriented rhythmic grooves (or patterns) as the basic foundation for the music; a sound flowing freely along with the currents all the time balancing the dark with the light. I have worked with many drummers over the years, but with Byron everything fell into the right place. He’s been a professional musician for over five decades and has worked with some of the best players you can imagine. One of his real strengths is his ability to create the absolute right solutions for any melodic or rhythmical texture, making the arrangements complete. I noticed very quickly that he has a certain skill of playing towards and supporting a leading melody – a skill only an experienced drummer can understand.”
The dramatic images of the album cover reflect the music’s contemplative and timeless perception of our planet. Seeing the world from above from an airplane’s cockpit (in photos taken by pilot Ian Dutton) reveals reflective perspectives of the earth below: a magnificent visual confluence of the sky and the glittering nighttime urban city lights.
Earth Luminous’ lustrous soaring themes, moving electronic drones, and bedrock rhythmic patterns drift and unfold in a lush electronic treatment of modern instrumental music. Cycles of layered synthesizers, harmonies, introspective slow-motion soundscaping, vibrant acoustic percussion, and illuminated electric guitar produce expansive and fluid tracks. The results are deeply thoughtful, seductive musings upon a radiant earth.
