Timm Mason has popped up in a handful of Seattle-based projects, having logged time in Midday Veil, TJ Max, and his long running solo act Mood Organ. The latter moniker is where I was introduced to him, as he has performed a number of times as part of the ongoing MOTOR night, a series of shows sponsored by Debacle Records that showcases the Northwest’s growing scene of psych-influenced dance music. With The Lost Levels, out now via Debacle, Mason presents two long-form, contemplative drone pieces that possess an intimate charm that sounds as if Mason is performing right in front of you.
On “Shadow Guide,” the second track off the The Lost Levels, we find Mason starting out with a somnambulist tone that weaves in David Milford’s violin that is as haunting as it is disarmingly gorgeous. The intensity builds over the track’s twenty minutes, and for maximum enjoyment it’s best to just sit back, sip on a cup of tea, and let the music do it’s thing. Mason makes the most with few musical elements, and the whole CD has a hypnotic feel that is impossible to ignore once it starts.
[Visit full site to view media]
• Timm Mason: http://moodorgan.wordpress.com
• Debacle Records: http://debaclerecords.com