Ballads

Ballads…

Potent music will always free the body to move into some great state of harmony (physical, mystical, or dreamlike variant). These fantastic crossings provide the human experience natural intoxicants to feel a wonderful freedom that is often unfounded otherwise. Some might even propose that this is music’s sole and noble purpose.

Composed or not, the music of Ashley Bellouin is a most pleasing blessing to this new century’s blueprint for perfect harmonization, and its splendor is a must hear for true experience. With her debut album, Ballads, Bellouin presents the listener with two sidelong tracks, “Bourdon” and “Hummen” that slowly evolve over their respective journeys. Both pieces focus on the acoustic and psychoacoustic phenomena that arise from microtonal tuning variations, and they invite the audience to enter into a heightened state of listening where small details become the primary focus.

Each track unfolds into an intricate auditory journey, suggesting subtle alterations to the perception of linear time. As the pieces progress, select tones emerge and transform the sound by revealing hidden overtones. The negative spaces between closely paired pitches alter and create complex tonal structures and shifting rhythmic patterns.

Bellouin composed, performed, recorded, and mixed the album between the period of 2012-2015, with Ben Bracken and Teddy Rankin-Parker joining on electric guitar and cello, respectively. “Hummen” features Bellouin’s hand-built glass armonica, custom electronics, harmonium, electric guitar, and aluminum rods. “Bourdon” features the Sequential Prophet 6 (which Bellouin was involved in making while working at Dave Smith Instruments), custom electronics, harmonium, cello, and electric guitar.

It is with great honor that Drawing Room presents Ashley Bellouin’s debut vinyl album, Ballads. Pressed on 140-gram vinyl, each LP is housed in a full color uncoated jacket (with download) and includes a 22x22” foldout art poster. An unlimited digital release is also available for each volume.