Album Review: Dura and Former Selves - "Triangles" / "Among The Lilies"

In the world of ambient, experimental, and drone music, what I’ve learned thus far is that I can tell if it is a good, or successful piece if it makes me feel something.

With an artist like Federico Durand, his work primarily evokes a bittersweet nostalgia, and an innocent whimsy at times; with the work of William Basinksi or the Tape Loop Orchestra—it’s primarily just a haunting, and crushing sadness.

Released as part of the summer 2015 batch of cassettes on Kevin Greenspon’s Bridgetown imprint, the split release between Dura and Former Selves walks both of those lines throughout both of the impressive and lengthy pieces.

I don’t know much about Dura, outside of being the work of someone named Mattson Ogg. Ogg has a Bandcamp page that hasn’t been updated inaround a year, and a Facebook page that is irregularly maintained—but I get it, social media is hard.

Ogg’s contribution, “Triangles,” begins with what sounds like a post-rock guitar warming up for roughly three minutes before the actual momentum of the piece kicks in. It’s interesting technique—slowly, gradually, and deliberately crafting delicate guitar loops that don’t so much build toward some kind of cacophonic peak, as loops often do, but instead, work to envelope the listener.

For upwards of 20 minutes, Ogg provides the soundtrack to what I would call “heavily Instagrammed nostalgia”—fragmented memories of your youth run through warm filters; or the boring countryside passing you by from the backseat of a car, as your head rests on the window.

The interplay between the electric and acoustic guitar looping is reminiscent of some of Yo La Tengo’s more reserved experimental material, giving it a very familiar, welcoming feeling as the piece, quite literally, swirls around you for what seems like forever.

I’ll have to admit that I was attracted to this release specifically from the new Bridgetown drop because of the flip side, “Among The Lilies” by Former Selves. The work of one Paul Skomsvold, dude is most prolific. His last Bridgtown contribution sharing an LP with Greenspon himself two years ago on the label’s 100^th release.

“Among The Lilies” is more on par with the other kind of feelings that ambient and experimental music can evoke.

Clocking in at another 20 minutes, “Lilies” also takes its time to build—slowly taking shape over long, drawn out synthesizer tones. It isn’t until just before the eight-minute mark that the true intention of the piece takes over. There’s something about the haunting, discontented droning, juxtaposed with the descending notes of the melody line that plays over the top of it that just makes it a cathartic, yet devastating listen. 

With “Among The Lilies,” Skomsvold exemplifies what ambient and experimental music is capable of—the irony is that through technology and cold machinery, he’s able to capture a human experience.

Even with slightly intimidating running times on each piece, they are both still rather accessible for listeners who may not be ready for all that this genre of music has to offer. “Triangles” and “Among The Lilies” compliment each other well—so pairing them together was a smart move on Greenspon’s part for this release. For music that is so reserved and restrained at times, both Skomsvold and Ogg make it look effortless to create such powerful, real reactions. 

"Triangles"/"Among The Lilies" is out now as a digital download and as a limited edition cassette via Bridgetown.