If you’re familiar with BPM favourites Crack Cloud, then you’ll know that the music they make is quite muscular, ragged and riotous, so to hear that key member Daniel Robertson has started a new solo ambient project as Peace Chord is somewhat surprising. Then again, the Vancouver collective are such a wildly talented bunch, and their songs utilise a lot of sonic ingenuity, so perhaps it’s not such a surprise after all.
Anyway, Peace Chord’s debut offering is the glorious “Crescent of Sun”, and he says: “In memory of C. The day of his memorial, there was a solar eclipse; the occluded light cast crescents in the shadows of the leaves.”
“Crescent of Sun” is built on infinite layers of spectral synth, immediately calling to mind ambient titan Brian Eno’s work on Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. But where that classic was concerned with the coldness of outer space, there is an unquantifiable yet undeniable warmth to Peace Chord’s track, which comes more into focus as he layers in some more tactile tones that could be brass. “Crescent of Sun” is perfect thinking music, and arrives at the ideal time of year in the northern hemisphere, as the days are getting shorter and it evocatively soundtracks the sun drooping low in the late afternoon sky, watching another day steadily pass into night.
You can listen to “Crescent of Sun” via the Spotify embed below, or on your preferred streaming service.
“Crescent of Sun” arrives today via Unheard of Hope. We’ve no news at this point about future releases from Peace Chord, or any social links – but hopefully there will be something more to come soon.
