Experimental artist (and trained opera singer) Ian William Craig has been busy with six releases in the past three years. A Turn of Breath, his latest, is his second this year, and it is long overdue that he enters the popular discourse between fans of the ambient genre.
Common signposts on A Turn of Breath point towards Julianna Barwick and William Basinski; Barwick and Craig both share a love of choral lines laid delicately upon hazy ambient, and Basinski’s frail, analogue static are also the foundation of many tracks. As such, it’s easy to see the appeal in Craig’s work, which is a mature release from a relatively new name in the field that doesn’t skimp out on intriguing sounds.
In a year that has seen a resurgence of excellent ambient releases, ATOB stands out as a bit more polished and precise than many of its peers. Clocking in at a concise three-quarters of an hour, the album navigates through a variety of short tracks that succinctly deliver their message without needlessly dragging on. Craig’s vocals ground the music in a tangible sounds while the experimental noises envelop the audience in a bright, opalescent fog.
Sean McCann’s newly formed label delivers another hit with A Turn of Breath. Fans of ambient music should early soak this up, and keep an eye on future releases from Recital, which appears to be dedicated to delivering top notch releases from unexpected sources.