Silver Y - In The Depths (Bytes)

 

Title: In The Depths

Artist: Silver Y

Label: Bytes

Cat Number: BYTES31

Genre: Ambient, Analog Shoegaze

1: Stupor

2: Rest Home

3: Shadow

4: Sopor

5: Self

6: In The Depths

7: Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Silver Y, aka Laura Caviglia, is “a self-taught multi-instrumentalist from Sicily” who, with ‘In The Depths’, conceptually maps out “the themes of identity loss, coma and death.” Of course I’ve been reading the press release because where I to have listened to this album without any reference, I doubt I would have made the connections. That, in itself, is no bad thing as such subjects can elicit negativity and despondency when the truth is that listening to this collection really doesn’t induce such feelings at all. Having said that, it’s no walk in the park. The album fluctuates on a lateral line of undulating, respiratory bass, handclaps and diaphanous vocals. In some cases, ‘Self’, for example, it surrenders itself to, for the most part, beatless tones and textures. There is more shape in the first part of the album, with Stupor’ to ‘Sopor’ feeling concrete in comparison to the beatless tones and textures Self’, which represents a peak of sorts. ‘In The Depths’ reestablishes a veneer of matter that further solidifies around the tempered euphoria of ‘Nam Myoho Renge Kyo’. It’s not for me to say whether I get this or not. What is apparent though, is a steady progression through various levels of psychedelic consciousness, culminating in a shimmering, uplifting crystallisation of electronic spirituality.