On the Echoing Green

In contrast to the haze and hermetic process of previous albums, On The Echoing Green was conceived as a deliberate experiment in clarity and collaboration: “I was interested in trying to bring out more overt pop elements, to let them come to the front and be present. I also have more trust now in letting things happen – trusting other people’s musicianship, and being open to people’s ideas. Eventually, things emerge.” What emerged from this bond are eight rapturous and richly melodic slow dives of swirling guitar, bass, synthesizer, piano, and drum machines, dramatically accented in places by heavenly arcs of voice courtesy of Argentinian singer-songwriter Sobrenadar. Cantu-Ledesma encouraged chemistry and intuition in the studio by beginning the album without any demos for reference; he and his collaborators pursued patterns and hypnotic textures across long-form improvisations until gradually songs began to take shape. This is music of growth and grandeur, of ascent and exploration, played with purpose and passion by a craftsman in tune with the beauty of sound and the harmony of light. In his words: “[This album] feels like spring – things coming alive, blooming, emerging from winter.”

The ambient noise artist Jefre Cantu-Ledesma moves towards shoegaze on his beautiful new record, which engenders a feeling of pure optimism.

On the Echoing Green is the proper follow-up to Jefre Cantu-Ledesma's A Year with 13 Moons, a phenomenal album which redefined the possibilities of what can be created using tape manipulation, thudding drum machines, and noisy, wistful guitar feedback.

Jefre Cantu-Ledesma has been active in experimental music contexts including drone, ambient, post-rock and noise for almost two decades, tho...