Debut album from Sebastian Reynolds sees him craft an intriguing sound palette.

Release Date: Available now

Label: Bandcamp

Format: digital

Released back in September 2023, and by his own admittance influenced in no small part by Thom Yorke’s Eraser album (we may even get a Why I Love Thom from Seb…). But three’s more… as also breaking the surface of Canary now and again are the inspirations that come via electronic and ambient music pioneers – Tangerine Dream, Vangelis and the modern classical / minimalist composer gang.

Canary is the culmination of a series of single and EP releases. It’s a set that explores a range of ambient moods with the sleepy train rumble of Sleeping Meadows taking half a minute before giving way and shifting gear into a pulsing beat and the first of a series of disconnected voices that contribute a claustrophobic, ‘big brother’ type slant.

And whilst electronic music might to some seem soulless, there are deeply personal inspirations that lie behind much of the work – Fetus, Shortest Day and The After Life taking shape from the experiences of birth, death and the thought of transcendence – whilst the bigger pictures of catastrophe, threat and self-preservation weigh heavily in several of the pieces.

The extended piece Vumutti Pts 1&2 combines white noise and industrial ambience, while Temple Gong proves a fine example of the range of sound ideas with the inclusion of the gong circle from guest Pradit Saengkrai. In How To Move Forward, we’re offered the advice that “When things get crazy, don’t get crazy too,” to accompany a minimalist beat. It provides a reminder amidst the atmospheres, including the sobering Kennedy soundbite in the title track, that some sort of redemption, whatever it may be, is at hand. Occasionally relaxing, occasionally disturbing, Canary refects an artist capable of capturing an array of moods.

Here’s opening track, Sleeping Meadow:

Sebastian Reynolds online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Keep up with At The Barrier: Facebook / X (formerly Twitter) / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube