meadow:watt by Kiln

Whether known as Fibreforms or now as Kiln, the musicians involved here create warm, engaging textures within the science of electronic music. Their second album for the Ghostly International label, *meadow: watt*, will likely grow a greater profile than their self-released EPs. This album’s 50-plus minutes allow enough time for each of the group\'s experiments to bear fruit, though the best ideas beg for infinite loops to best experience their environment-changing achievements. “Star.Field” is in tune with the album’s title, a piece both openly bucolic and worthy of the infinite night sky. “Willowbrux” sizzles to the beats that call to a low-key dance floor where slow dancers would have reason to hold close for its six-and-a-half-minute duration. The active white noises and scraping rhythms guiding “Kopperkosmo” present alienating textures as part of the weave. The guitars and synths manipulated here make for subtle headphone battles, where the stereo mix reveals a jockeying for position between the left and right channels.

KILN expands upon its aural concepts of fluid, neverwhere textures with meadow:watt, its third full-length with Ghostly International. Building upon the sound they developed over 10 years ago with Sunbox, then expounded upon in 2007 with Dusker, the evocative spaces of meadow:watt bring the sonic art of Kevin Hayes, Kirk Marrison and Clark Rehberg III into even sharper focus. The nine tracks of meadow:watt continuously construct and deconstruct themselves, gliding through movements of disrupted organic & electrified elements. In many ways, meadow:watt is KILN's most melodic record yet with tracks like "Acre" and "Moth and Moon," which offer dreamy guitar notes bending like the sun's curves on a watery horizon. "Pinemarten" is driven by its percussion, strolling in a steady line where there is no path, and "Jux" offers a cascade of oxidized symphonics, tumbling through dubbed out atmospheres of liquid zipper treatments. The mech-natura mosaics of meadow:watt create a resonating mirage of rhythmic sound that would be equally perfect for a walk in the park or a float down the river. Dusker and meadow:watt were conceived with a similar intent, but the latter is thicker and more elaborate, expanding upon the process and dusken theme of the former. The invitation to trustfall into their landscape is crafted with a landing that intends to evoke a new sense of connectedness. The beauty of KILN, which has been clearly mastered by this record, is the inspiration to experience the same songs differently upon repeated listens – an achievement that has distinguished certain artists in the vast timeline of ambient, krautrock, post-rock and electronic music in general.

8 / 10

Without knowing anything about Kiln — which is made up of Kevin Hayes, Kirk Marrison, and Clark Rehberg III — it seems strikingl...