Mining Obscurity by Jeff Sampson

After the minimal and droney "Energy of the Multiverse" ( eg0cide.com/2014/12/07/eg0_128-jeff-sampson-energy-of-the-multiverse/ ), Jeff Sampson offers us a quite different album containing pieces recorded between 2003 and 2015, "Mining Obscurity". This album lets us discover a wider part of his rich sound palette, while the whole remains very cohesive, demonstrating that the author has a clear and mature vision about his own work.

The foreground vocal melodies in Unaware & Kage are very touching and catchy despite (thanks to?) their sober atmosphere - far away from the stereotyped & overdone gimmicks of most pop singers. The other tracks (using mainly synthesizers and field recordings) are more abstract, while keeping a strong emotional background. Each one has its own nuance, from serenity to darker shades, and contributes to the unique atmosphere of "Mining Obscurity", an album that manages to blend the smoothness of ambient music and the rough edges of sound experimentation with the depth of human feelings.

Release page : http://wp.me/pcVRA-Nd