Gardener – Ceremoy
7.17.16 by Marcel Foley

As I’m caught in a whirlwind of chaotic drones, dense synthscapes, and multilayered, reverbheavy lofi ambient tones, Dash Lewis’ latest tape as Gardener pulls me out of the water like an otherworldly being who understands the concepts and vibrations of warped psychedelia and encompassing, duby sonic experimentation. And much like an otherworldly being, Ceremony is defined by its own sheer mystery and a glowing, neonlike haze. Featuring two tracks that each span 20 minutes, this cassette is simply ne of the best, most forwardthinking ambient releases you’ll hear all year. Lewis wonderfully adopts some of the most notable traits of “outsider” drone and beyond: roaring loops are caught in a distorted balance as the vibrant whirs of opener “Between Mirrors” reside between lofi tape music and towering progressiveambient. The lulls of the track’s narrow path of harmonious melancholy reach the ultimate tipping point, with its sound ultimately cascading upon the listener like an avalanche of decayed and sharp timbres that reach a buzzing, glitchheavy climax. As the song fades out, it’s like the end to an emotionally powerful short film: the grain on the screen starts to dissolve and you’re thrown back into a surreal, almost blissful state.

On the B side we have “Sight Forever,” an epic force of spacey, futuristic sonic clarity and psychedelia. Heavenly washes of ambient tones are blessed with bubbly synthnoise counterparts, with a more immediate progression in sound than the A side yet a slightly more minimal direction of what’s considered to be “traditional” ambient. The loops become more and more distorted and warped by its lofi production, with a hypnagogic array of synths that make you feel like you’re at an ‘80s theme park with neon lights that set the summer mood perfectly, or perhaps even at the beach, or maybe underwater. As you’re caught in this multidimensional auditory headspace, you see the bubbles float to the top in a digital ocean, and before you know it, you’re caught back in the whirlwind again.

Purchase the tape here and prepare for a trip you’ll never forget.