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Robert Scott Thompson Acousma Robert Scott Thompson fashions soundscapes that are so imaginative, it seems that we're in another distant world listening to the sounds of that far away place. And then we hear a hint of something familiar, something like a flute, or a koto, or a chorus of voices, and we're reminded of the sounds we know. It's the blending of the familiar with the unfamiliar that draws us in and becomes fascinating. Thompson's music is almost narrative as different things happen and different stories seem to unfold and time moves in a very special way. What does 'acousma' mean? It refers to a form of auditory hallucination, the sensation of hearing imaginary sounds. Thompson writes, "Sounds may become enchanted, imbued with enriched nuance, essentially changed and transformed ... A common thread which connects these works is the notion of illusion; whether borne of dreams, hallucinations, memories or the creative imagination. My goal in creating music of this type is to open a view into sound-worlds which are compelling, unique and perhaps even alien. Audition becomes a journey of discovery and adventure ..." Tracks Disc 1 Oneiromancy (2001) "... a bleak inner landscape reminiscent of the fascinating and yet unsettling fusion of organic and geometric forms ..." Elemental Folklore (1996) "A palette of metallic timbres ... with gamelan-like sounds, temple-bell-like sounds ... A ritual atmosphere ..." The Widening Gyre (1998) "... a more intimate work ... a solo voice appears ..." Light Is a Liquid (1999) "... the shimmering surface created by sound quanta in motion ..." The Gramophone (1999) "... an intimate portrait of Eliot's 'lovely woman' whose story gradually emerges from the layered sounds of her solitary listening session ..." Aetherial (2001) "... a beautifully serene mood ... sounds like wind chimes gently brushed by a steady wind ..." Disc 2 Fog Index (1997) "... piano, voice, wind, and the koto-like instrument, the distinctions between them blurred and obscured ..." The Ninth Wave (2001) "... harmonic warmth ... the impression of a resonant space ..." Cathedral Sky (1997) "... the prolonged decay of isolated sounds together with glistening metallic timbres ..." Tagmeme (2000) "... the overtones of cello sounds along with solo voice, 'wind', and fragments of ambient choral sounds ..." Rebar (2001) "... derived from and punctuated by the sounds of actual pieces of rebar falling through the air ..." Acousma (2001) "... an infusion of Thompson's ambient style ... The warmth of the washes of diatonic choral sounds ..." Buy it!

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