200 Words: DEREK ROGERS
(In 200 Words, we highlight a new record we like a lot, via a 200-word review by one of us (Marc Masters or Grayson Currin) and 200 words (or so) from the artist about whatever they choose.)
Until recently my limited knowledge of Derek Rogers had me pegging him as strictly a drone artist. In my defense, that knowledge was based on 2012's Saturations, a toweringly great drone record that I still get lost in. But last year Rogers proved he can do a lot more through a number of diverse releases - my favorite being the super-varied and excellently-titled Don't Stop Bereaving.
2014 has been good so far too: January's This House is a Block is a mesmerizing set of mid-length meditations, and Prevais is even better. I’m gonna risk pegging Rogers again by calling this his most Fennesz-like effort (comparing any warmly glitchy music to Fennesz should probably be outlawed at this point, and I’ve been a major culprit). But in this case it’s less a comparison than a launching point – Rogers uses similar techniques to go different places, to make different neurons fire. Much of Prevais makes me think not of faded memories or summer haze, but brains and stimulus, input and output – the chemical and mathematical nature of experience. It’s moving too – parts make me want to lie down for a while – but the best of Prevais lights up my gray matter. – Marc Masters
<a href="http://signaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/derek-rogers-prevais" data-mce-href="http://signaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/derek-rogers-prevais">Derek Rogers 'Prevais' by Signal Dreams</a>
Derek Rogers on Prevais:
Process and repetition, subtraction of all sounds extraneous until you're left with only the essence on simmer.
Low boil afternoons, windows open but the breeze doesn't blow at 90 degree angles, forcing you to stew in your own sweat, unable to remove the headphones that have now been caked to your moist ears.
"But this is LA, we left TX and the oppressive heat behind, didn't we?"
The low, barely-audible engine drone of the 101 down the block fuses sublimely with the cadence of skateboard wheels below marking time with adjacent cracks in the sidewalk.
Acknowledge influences without mimicry, reject the obvious and don't forget to eat.
Process memories and windows, oblivious of all sounds extraneous until you're left with only the sweat on drone.
Boiled afternoons, open but the breeze doesn't blow in LA, forcing you to stew in your own essence, unable to acknowledge; remove the headphones that have now been caked to your influences.
"But these are oppressive angles -- we left adjacent cracks and the heat behind, didn't we?"
Low afternoons moisten ears without simmering, reject the subtraction and forget to fuse.
Process and repetition Subtraction.
Derek Rogers’ Prevais is out now on Signal Dreams. Buy it here.