There is a quiet beauty inherent in minimalism, and this is reflected in the succinct tracks of Arp’s release. In Light offers up all the sparse fare of minimalism without the mind-numbing tedium. Many sub-genres of electronica can lean toward drab sound-same banality or leftfield experimentalism, but percussionist/producer Alexis Georgopoulos hits a comfortable mark with Arp's intervening opus, “Potentialities.”
Given Georgopoulos’ musical history before Arp, this nuanced album is unanticipated, but not unlikely. Formerly involved with Tussle, a four-piece rhythm band that played in San Francisco’s art spaces, Georgopoulos seems to carry over an intuitive sense of timing and a thirst for new horizons. (Arp’s newest addition Kathryn Anne Davis doesn't appear on In Light, but it's at least interesting to envision Georgopoulos’ intricate soundscapes mixing with her charming, esoteric voice.)
While “Potentialities,” with its hypnotic Zen harmonics, is the most credited track off In Light -- the song was recognized in September by Forkcast -- the album offers a range of meditative textures, from the soft organic piano of “The Rising Sun” to the complex, percussive-like synths of “Premonition of the Sculptor Steiner.” There is no doubting Arp’s diversity, as they seem to take a sound and slip it under an auditory microscope in each track, examining the organelles of melody with such intensity that you are transported into the landscape itself.
Although In Light is a solid work and doesn’t tread into the far-off lands of psychedelia or meander listlessly in a monotonous purgatory, the album lacks a vehemence to effectively propel it from Minimalism 101 to a striking piece of art. Perhaps there is a sacrifice in exploring new places that can be heard in between the nicely crafted melodies of In Light. Hopefully with time and more (or less) experimentation, Arp will hit their stride with something a little closer to perfection.
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