For her Polar Code (GLACIAL MOVEMENTS GM056), Italian creator Lia Bosch has opted to tell a science-fiction story – not just writing the text, but composing 12 tracks that advance the tale, and providing full-colour digital images in the enclosed booklet.
While some elements of this package appear to borrow a little from Hollywood extravaganzas, Bosch has an original vision and an economy in the presentation which we do like. The tropes of researchers in Antarctica, abandoned alien bases and secret codes might suggest everything from the X-Files to Alien Vs Predator, but at the core of her record Bosch is trying to bring us to some sort of universal understanding of our humanity and the meaning of life, all of which is centred upon the discovery of the “infinity” symbol which might be hovering in an unexpected location. There’s something about a “glowing portal” which would be enough to intrigue any questing mind, let alone that of our fictional scientist fellow. A fateful decision hangs on his discovery, but I’ll let you read the tale for yourself.
For some reason I’ve always thought it was a bit of a gaffe for a musician to invent a story to go with abstract ambient / electronica music, let alone a science-fiction one, but perhaps the days of 1970s concept-prog albums are behind us now and the genre is on the verge of being reclaimed by a new generation of more imaginative artists. Polar Code certainly has a lot more tension and drama than an average ambient-drone record, besides being rich in atmosphere, yet it’s not overdone; the content remains open-ended and ambiguous, allowing the listener to form their own connections along with the trajectory of the storyline. Besides working with stories, visuals, and sounds, Bosch is also a poet and film-maker, and has a “passion for philosophy and psychology” that causes her to wonder about the human psyche and underpins many of her works. She’s also the first woman to have made a record for this Italian label in over 20 years. (11/12/2024)