There’s an exhibit on display right now at the Seattle Art Museum titled Light and Space, filling a large third-floor gallery with simultaneously large and unassuming pieces from New York minimalist Donald Judd. The exhibit includes a large piece that covers most of an even larger wall, consisting of long, horizontal bars of color, beginning with yellow and (d)evolving into a deep purple. I’m reminded of an album out on This Ain’t Heaven Recording Concern by JQ titled QUIET MUSIC. JQ’s QUIET MUSIC is like that gym wall-sized canvas, a conflicting vision of soft color tones and massive physical size. But JQ’s sound isn’t as quiet as its title insists. It’s heavily composed of airy synths and feels weightless at times, but driving, reverberating drums most notably on “PHOEBE” bring an excitement not usually found in many ambient, “quiet” projects. Both Judd and JQ play with the sense of calm and scale, and they’re both nice to experience.
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