Reflections on a Moonlit Lake
Spotted Peccary (2024)
My first exposure to Rudy Adrian's music was when he
released Twilight in 1999 which I could swear I reviewed but I can't
find it anywhere in my hard drive archives. I do remember being
impressed with this relative newcomer to the spacemusic/ambient and EM genres.
However, I could not have foreseen how his career would blossom to the degree
that it has with now over 20 recordings to his credit. And, in my estimation,
he just keeps getting better. He seems to have left his EM/sequencer days
behind in 2006 (the exception being 2017's Sequencer Rarities) and he now
concentrates his considerable talent on ambient soundscapes that reflect a deep
connection with all manner of nature, as witnessed by some of his album titles
(The Healing Lake – 2000, Desert Realms- 2008, Coastlines
– 2016, Woodlands – 2019).
Adrian excels at several of the aspects of
spacemusic/ambient music, e.g. the deft layering of the assorted sounds,
keyboards, textures, all of it yielding a whole which always surpasses the sum
of its parts. Another way he distinguishes himself is limiting the duration of
pieces, i.e., no one track overstays its welcome. Three, the cohesion of his
compositions is always around a central theme or backdrop.
Reflections on a Moonlit Lake features eleven tracks,
nothing longer than 7:59 in duration, and the music is some of Adrian's most
relaxing and soothing in recent years, which one might expect given the album
title and inspiration. Per the liner notes (written by Adrian) "This album
was created to evoke the experience of a lakeside view in the wilderness. I
hope the music captures the calm and serenity of such a place." Well,
growing up and living in the upper Midwest (Wisconsin and Minnesota), I've
spent my share of time at wilderness lakes and yes, the music here would make a
superlative backdrop for whiling away the twilight (and deep night) hours
gazing at how a full moon glistens off the still waters of a lake surrounded by
woods of pines, oaks, and birches. All that's missing would be (for
Minnesotans), the plaintive call of loons or the occasional hoot of an owl.
Now, for those unfamiliar with Rudy Adrian's work, while
it's undeniably ambient in nature and scope, it can gravitate from a warm mood
to one more neutral in evocation, e.g., "Midnight Angel" brushes
against shadow and mystery via minor key piano whereas the piano on "Lunar
Shadow" perfectly captures a feeling of contentment as it patiently
unfurls against a backdrop of classic spacemusic synth washes. The closest that
the album gets to true darkness is in the aptly-titled "Within The
Darkness" which does paint a picture of a certain eeriness in one's
surrounding, but it's done so well with an assortment of textures and keyboard
sounds that it fits in nicely alongside warmer cuts such as the title track or
the album closer "Summer Night Rain" which features equal parts
semi-drone washes and actual rain falling sounds.
Reflections on a Moonlit Lake is filled with
excellent drifting ambient music that one can either listen to intently, visualizing
the album's titular landscape or played in the background allowing the sounds
to soak into the room and color the environment in a noticeable but unobtrusive
sense of calm and repose. Because there are no abrupt shifts in overall tone, I
imagine it'd be a great "fall asleep to" album as well.
Over his two-plus decades of making music, Rudy Adrian has
established himself as one of brightest beacons in the world of crafting
ambient soundscapes that invite the listener to dive into the music and enjoy
the experience in any capacity whatsoever.
ALBUM DETAILS
All music written, performed, recorded and mixed by Rudy
Adrian
Album mastered by Howard Givens at Spotted Peccary Studios
NW, Portland, OR
Design by Daniel Pipitone at Spotted Peccary Studios NE,
Ligonier, PA
Imagery created by Jourdan Laik
Portrait photography by Jared Mason
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