Gadi Sassoon’s “Modes of Vibration.” Clocking in just over 48 minutes over 12 striking tracks, this sonic trip is full of innovation without alienation, a neat trick in experimental electronic. For fans of musicians who use extremes without obliterating them, Modes of Vibration is a master class in sonic equalization. Sassoon creates a universe where textures flap beneath the fray like light and feeling buzzes under every synth swell. More than an album, from inception to conclusion, this is a studied investigation of frequency, form, and sensation.
The high point, “Yuki,” is a crystalline work of art icy in pitch but emotionally tender, a song like what it feels like right before it snows. It’s that kind of song that makes you stop in your tracks, listen harder and then press replay too many times in a row. Also entrancing is “Digital Twin,” a glitchy, shimmering work that feels like a conversation between your soul and a sentient machine. Both tracks demonstrate Sassoon’s genius for threading the needle between complexity and clarity. But what’s most surprising about "Modes of Vibration" is just how listenable it is.
And though it’s undeniably inventive with references to IDM, ambient and glitch experimental music that doesn’t require you to “get” it in order to enjoy it. Whether you’re listening with headphones or running it through whatever speakers you have in your living room, it welcomes you rather than holding you at arm’s length. Sassoon, who also works in sound design, is a multi-disciplinary talent and as such lends a cinematic quality to every second of this record. Each track is like a scene each break into the next a new chapter. It’s music to reflect on, to inspire, to travel through oneself with on late nights.
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