Expanse (EK001) is the first release on Edition Kymata, which may have some connection to Macro. If Alluvium (see previous post) is about disrupting an imaginary grid, this one is a long-form exploration of imaginary space – I think. Each disc represents a “zone”, which is delineated or described by the simple use of reverb – suggesting Stefan Goldmann believes that sound itself, when correctly processed, could be used as a surveying tool much like a compass or theodolite. This allows him to conceptualise about these imaginary spaces as if they were genuine real estate.
He does reveal the “immersive spaces” have been “carefully designed”, and I’ve no doubt he works to very strict principles of mathematics, architecture, sound design, or all of the above disciplines. Each disc lasts precisely one hour, and doesn’t vary much while playing, but every “zone” has its own distinct flavour – Sectors 3 and 4, for instance, are rather dark, like the inside of an iron prison. A fellow could get lost wandering in these spaces, losing our sense of the space-time continuum, and apparently that’s the whole idea; if asked to “show his work”, Goldmann could produce statistical data to demonstrate the validity of his theory, then invite an audience to visit his Sectors through one of the many “access points”.
I wonder if five hours are really required to make this point, and I found the artificiality of the reverbed environment does make each Sector seem like an isolation tank, rather than the field of absolute freedom that is implied. (02/04/2024)