Staran Wake - s/t

Long time in the making project from British duo, Andrew Bunsell and the late, great Tom Relleen of Tomaga/The Oscillation. Relleen's untimely passing in 2020 did bring to light just how much of a creative force he was, as he not only leaves behind a rich and lengthy legacy, but also a catalogue that's continued to grow in his absence - it's clear the man did not waste time. His pairing with Bunsell as Staran Wake is yet another example of a longstanding interest in collaboration, this time out creating eight instrumental pieces that share similar space to his work with Valentina Magaletti, but also add in something extra besides. I'm unaware of any of Bunsell's output prior to this, though there's clearly shared interest in Relleen's signature explorations of Berlin School electronics, Focus Group eerieness, Kraut rhythms, library & soundtrack music archives and Stockhausen/Cage-derived sound art. There's studious, magpie eyes at work here, no doubt, but it's never clinical or cold, each hyper-detailed compositioned, whether grand or miniature, it's own immersive world. Sorry to use the phrase, but they've very good at the liminal spaces thing. Other challenges notwithstanding, it's evident why it took four years to put together this 40 minutes of music, the production so meticulous, their creative tangets precise and flawless. Circumstances dictate that there's a good chance this will be the only Staran Wake LP, a tragedy for a few reasons, but it's a while before you'll go hungry feasting on Bunsell and Relleen's shared vision.