It seems to be something of a natural law: in times of fragile global uncertainty, some musicians take flight into cosmic sound worlds. British techno producer James Holden, following an initial EP five years ago, has now expanded his collaboration with Polish jazz clarinettist Wacław Zimpel into a full-length album. Zimpel, who has previously worked with bass-music mystic Shackleton, doesn’t limit himself to the clarinet here, adding piano, organ, lap steel guitar and the Indian alghoza flute to his palette. Holden, for his part, doesn’t just rely on his arsenal of modular synths but also plays violin and hand percussion.
Yet in the end, it hardly matters who plays what on The Universe Will Take Care Of You. The instruments serve only one purpose: to merge into a vast stream of sound that is constantly in motion, bubbling, chirping and fluting without pause. With this Fourth World ambient approach, Holden and Zimpel operate beyond the frames of reference that once defined their musical beginnings. At times, it recalls Steve Reich, though you could just as easily call it New Age.
