Writing “Kevin Drumm is back” would make no sense, for in reality he’s unrelentingly there, as prolific as ever for our good luck. Still, every once in a while we love to remind people about the radiance of sound-induced static psycho(in)activity. On this particular occasion I was attracted by a glorious title, then remained stuck to the aural matter for several days. As a supporter perfectly synthesizes on Drumm’s Bandcamp page, “these recordings always lift me up where others can not”. Fact is, we can’t figure out the exact cause, as is usually the case with composers capable of creating atmospheres channeling quiet desolation, inevitable worry, unspeakable intuitions. It’s a necessarily difficult step for the next phase.
There’s no chance to correctly identify the sources; Drumm has long accustomed us to this. Certain waveforms may somehow relate to stringed instruments, but it could well be something else, perhaps environmental or domestic echoes processed to the extreme. It is not important to know. The three movements of Future When It Comes represent a mirror reflecting the mental immobility typical of a taxing period, the kind of aware obnubilation affecting a responsive soul when the stressing signs of existence begin to manifest with alarming frequency. The direction is known, to those who understand. However, one is repeatedly pulled by the jacket by thoughts that are not exactly pleasant.
Drumm’s way of cutting and kneading selected frequencies of the spectrum is uniquely his own. The perspectives born from these superimpositions of indefinite fixities allow the heart to slow down its pace, thus indulging our pulsating nucleus. Just leave the whole thing on repeat for hours, and start digging deep. If you wish to scrutinize the timbral fiber and the nanoscopic diversifications implied, headphones are preferable. To let the harmonic mist blend with the motionless twilight of another wasted day, speakers will be equally efficient. As a note of thanks for all this, you might want to assist this lone wolf of an artist during a complicated stretch for him: read carefully the reticent message accompanying this gem, and act accordingly.
MASSIMO RICCI. TOUCHING EXTREMES. 