Like the majority of the magical music in Melody As Truth`s catalogue the short pieces contained on The Side I Never See effectively constitute a suite – with themes and feelings evolving over the ten tracks to form a cohesive twenty-two minute deep listen. A movement of meditative, and consequently potential healing, properties. 

A collaboration across continents between accomplished multi-instrumentalists, Hugh Small and Brian Allen Simon, it`s impossible, and perhaps irrelevant, to tell who’s playing what on these – I guess – improvisations for synthesizer, saxophone, piano, and guitar. In general, the reeds take the lead – allowed to solo – while the remaining three instruments provide sensitive backing textures. Sometimes together, more often alone. Alternating between plaintive piano, in modern classical ripples, and waves of treated, Robert Fripp-like infinite axe work. Emitting feedback, locked in echo, and, on occasion, reversed. The synth makes like strings, and the sax reaches for spiritual heights. Collectively they create, evoke, an ECM-esque jazz, except without any rhythm section. The sonic landscapes that they paint, regardless of the weather, are nostalgic, perhaps, but always packed full of light. 

Hugh Small & Brian Allen Simon’s The Side I Never See will be released on July 30th, care of Melody As Truth. 

You can hear music from this release, plus other recently reviewed ambient / post-classical / electronica albums, here:

Track-list
loscil – Stella – Kranky
Cass – Hey Sun – Growing Bin
Blank Gloss – Virga – Kompakt
MLO – Wimborne – Music From Memory
Ayane Shino – Hagoromo – Musicmine
Michal Turtle & Suso Saiz – Buenovintra Beckons – Planisphere Editorial
Hugh Small & Brian Allen Simon – Viridians – Melody As Truth
Blank Gloss – Walking Toward The End – Kompakt
Pablo Color & Lexx – Aire Nocturno – Ish
Cass – Dooley – Growing Bin
MLO – Melt – Music From Memory
Ayane Shino – Kodomotachi – Musicmine
loscil – Lumina – Kranky