Rapt
Rapt
UK Self-released /
Bandcamp 008 DL (2018)
Brighton Books closed this month. Hot on the heels of other Brighton
institutions such as record shops Borderline and Rounder. Sticky Mike’s and The Haunt are next.
Before there was Greggs, there was Forfars. Before there was Graze, there was Real Food
Direct and Infinity Foods. Before Terre à Terre,
there was Food for Friends. Before the
Vans Store there was Vegetarian Shoes. The
Eagle was the Eagle, then it wasn’t; now it is again. Before there was The Eagle, there was the
Basketmakers Arms. Long before Phoenix
Residents Association there was The Freebutt.
Before Brighton Pier there was the West Pier and look what happened to
that.
Food for Friends abides.
Vegetarian Shoes abides. Infinity
Foods abides. The Basketmakers Arms
abides. Before the Gladstone there was
the Kenny. Before the Kenny there was
The Eagle. The Prince Albert abides. Jump The Gun abides. The Cowley abides. The Verdict abides. At The Coachhouse abides. The Metway abides. The Fish Brothers abide…probably. The Labour Party Conference, Sussex Heights,
St Peter’s Church, that weeping silver lime tree in Queen’s Park…
I’d like to think that they’ll still abide long after all
the Great Escapes, Moshimos, Nero’s, Costa’s, Gresham Blake’s, The Ivy’s
franchises and FatFace have all gone.
Before Rapt, there were any number of electronic
process/drone-based projects and after Rapt there will be any number more. “Inspired
by music concrete/insomnia/thought loops.
'Rapt' is the product of a search for mental headspace and the desire
for a world to get lost in.” Rapt is
the alias of Jacob Ware, a Brighton-based mastering engineer. His stated influences are “…Wolfgang Voight, Brian Eno, William
Basinski, Magnus Alexanderson, David Toop, Phillip Glass, Arvo Part…” You will hear the Basinski and Voight influences
straight away. This is GAS without Voight’s
beautiful aimlessness and nostalgia; Alexanderson without the rigour; Disintegration Loops without the ennui. An ocean of sound set to the ubiquitous 4/4
beat. A monumental piece of sound
engineering, Ware’s warm production creates an environment I didn’t want to
leave. Five tracks, all seemingly derived
from the same sources, considered very differently; simply titled as Roman
numerals. Pressure builds. Like emerging from the darkness of the labyrinth
of Knossos, into the clear bright light of a southern European mountainside,
the weighty synth pads of Rapt will
cleanse your mind and your soul.
Particularly in the early hours of the average Sunday morning. It’s a clear day, there’s no clouds in the
sky and the sea and the coast seem within easy reach of a day’s walk. Have fun.
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