The previous collaborative album by this ad hoc trio of sound artists, with the title «Walden», referring to the book Walden or Life in the Woods by the American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau, was released by the label Thisco in Portugal. This time Chitra Records took the chance to release the second sequel of their collab series – with the title «Walden Two».
With the aim of merging and joining the forces of music and literature, the title of the album, this time, bears a resemblance to the utopian novel «Walden Two» written by behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner.
Music and transcendental writing, sound and abstraction, the overall alternative spiritual craze that is becoming and obsession to the many experimental and ambient/drone music artists worldwide – that’s all been an influence in creating this music.
The music on this triple collaborative album is hovering somewhere between the abstract melodic patterns with a slight touch and a resemblance to the gentler aspects of noise.
Darren McClure (Japan)
Darren McClure is a sound artist living in Matsumoto, Japan. His music folds together electronics, drones and processed field recordings to create pieces of minimal, abstract ambience.
Darren McClure’s work focuses on texture, space and atmosphere. Sound sources are both analogue and digital, hardware and software, incorporating found sounds and field recordings to lend an organic, tactile quality to the pieces. His main intent is to create sound to both zone out to and zone into, a balance of widescreen drones and a more minimal, abstract ambience.
He has released solo and collaborative work on a number of labels, across various formats. His music has also been used in conjunction with video work and documentary shorts.
Toni Dimitrov (Macedonia)
Toni Dimitrov is a multimedia artist, cultural producer, radio host, communicologist, organizer, curator, label owner, mountain/rock climber, and nature lover, living in Skoplje, Macedonia. He connects all those with a love for music, sound art, and field recordings. Working in the field of sound art and experimenting with electronic music and radio. Have been curving his way into the new experimental music/sound art scene with his solo engagement, collaborative releases, radio art, and art installations. He is searching for his own way of merging styles of music, such as ambient, soundscape, long-form drone explorations with pure field recordings. Through the years released different releases under several monikers, collaborations, and bands, have released on diverse labels and performed at many events, locally and abroad at festivals, and participated in several residencies. Curating the labels post global recordings and élan vital recordings. He took part in The Audiosphere, Sound Experimentation 1980-2020 sound exhibition. Currently, he is the director of the Cultural Information Center in Skopje.
Boban Ristevski (Macedonia)
Few of the music projects of Boban Ristevski are concentrated and based on exploring mostly the ambient/drone and industrial/noise-related kinds of music. With elements of minimalism/improvisation/abstraction, etc., the music is balancing between the more structured forms and an improvised approach to music.
He is working as a librarian at the local city library in Skopje (North Macedonia). He graduated in world literature at the University (the Faculty of Philology) and is now preparing for his post-graduate studies. He’s also writing essays and translating from English to Macedonian.
All sounds, field recordings and production by Darren McClure, Toni Dimitrov, and Boban Ristevski
Arrangements by Toni Dimitrov
Mastering by Dionis Afonichev (Dionisaf)
Photo by Aleksandr Zabolotnikov
Artwork and cover design by Dionis Afonichev (Dionisaf)