There’s something oddly romantic about Ryan Duncan’s musical history. The San Bernardino-raised man traversed an audio engineering background and befriended fellow noisemaker Lawrence Lindell: the latter’s DIY label Noise Met Sound released Gypsy Eyes‘ single "REM" and his debut full-length The Escapist in 2013.
These pieces were colorful and ludic, combining elements of jungle with Duncan’s fascination for idiophones, raising candles to the likes of B12 and Autechre. His time spent working with the autodidactic musician echoed sentiments of a creative marriage between seemingly polar opposites. Duncan’s past suggests that he is capable of manifesting pop in the avant garde, finding balance between cold sounds and hot beats. He takes a pass on this new EP.
"Whispers, Stitches, Catacombs, Fear" marks the first physical release and pronounced shift toward musique concréte, perhaps a return to his engineering roots: it’s a collection of six improvised vignettes that study textures abrasive and gentle. Ambient noise, wind chimes, and field recordings coalesce into a surreal atmosphere, bereft of rhythm. It’s a work that could stand among notables of the genre like Daniel Menche and David Lee Myers, obscure as they might be. But even for the unitiated, "Whispers, Stitches, Catacombs, Fear" is magnetic, challenging listeners to question the essence of song and communicating ideas conventionally left alone.
Stream Gypsy Eyes’ "Whispers, Stitches, Catacombs, Fear" on New Normal Label‘s bandcamp or buy the cassette for just $5. – Ryan Mo