(fireworks & wind)

(fireworks & wind) is an exercise in radical presence. It is a document of a specific night in the Pacific Northwest, where the traditional markers of a holiday, the bright, loud, and colorful explosions of fireworks, are transformed into something ghostly and distant. By placing the microphone in the path of the wind, Phil Elverum centers the listener in the middle of a vast, invisible force. The fireworks become a secondary rhythm, a series of soft, percussive thuds that feel like a heartbeat or a distant drum kit played in another room. Owning this release is about appreciating the beauty in the un-musical. It challenges the listener to find melody in the rushing air and structure in the random intervals of the pyrotechnics. It is an essential piece for those who find solace in the atmosphere of Mount Eerie’s more traditional albums but want to experience the raw, unedited environment that inspires them. It sounds like the world continuing to turn while you stand perfectly still. It is a meditative, almost haunting experience that rewards deep listening and a willingness to let go of the need for melody or lyrics. It is the sound of being exactly where you are, with no distractions.

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