Fallopian Silent Film (3:00)
Saturday Morning Indoctrination (6:26)
Mother's Milk Stain (4:52)
Feather In A Needle (3:32)
The Persistence Of Visions (6:04)
Of Acids And Angels (7:16)
Smoke Span (2:22)
At The Foot Of An Eastern Elevator (5:22)
Geist Taxi (4:44)
Waltzing The White Light (5:33)
Jason Corder sounds like a pretty fun guy. Sniff around on the internet long enough and you'll start to discover some pretty interesting things about this boy wonder. On the surface, Corder looks normal enough: Kentucky based musician involved with several projects, most well known for his electronic moniker Off the Sky, slowly gaining recognition on the internet by releasing material on the likes of Autoplate, Term/12k, Databloem, and Stilll, yada yada yada... A vague and leading comment on the internet implies that Corder at one point in time attempted to create his own production software, which only resulted in a frustrating mess before he accepted 'conventional' means. This not only shows a large dedication to his craft, as well as an incredibly control oriented (possibly obsessively so...) personality, but also reveals that he's not just some art guru who stumbled onto Ableton Live.
Which is not to say that Corder is not an art guru. A quick look at his influences cite legends such as Jackson Pollock, David Lynch, T.S. Elliot, Edgar Allen Poe, Vincent Van Gogh, Darren Aronofsky, and so on. I know what you're thinking, they are all pretty hip and trendy artists to claim as your inspirations, but it still counts for something. Doesn't it? At the very least, Corder at least pretends to have a deeper appreciation for art, which is more than I can say for most people I have the pleasure of reviewing. So I imagine this Corder guy would be a nice chap to sit down and have a dinner with, engage in full on discourse, and pick his mind for the better part of an hour or two. Countless individuals undoubtedly qualify for the standard pint of beer, but how many would you really care to sit down and dine with? Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to pick up Mr. Corder, quite the contrary, my interest is purely Platonic.
In perhaps what is one of the most off hand comments ever made in an attempt to describe the process behind creating music, Corder claims that Off the Sky is a project that is -- in some manner -- fueled by Chaos Theory and weather patterns. If you don't know much about either one of those, then the comment probably bounces right off the skin. But those of us 'in the know' raise an eye brow, because, although Chaos Theory may be good for creating some pretty pictures to set as your desktop background, I certainly don't foresee it as being a brilliant musical discovery. Yet I prepare to stand corrected...
In a way, the influence of Chaos Theory is almost audible on The Geist Cycles. And I stress almost, because it actually isn't, but after listening to the album fifteen times or so, I'm pretty convinced that I can hear JFK telling me the shooter was behind the grassy knoll. So I'll digress on this point. Weather does appear to have a more central role in Off the Sky's atmospheric, experimental themes, in all of its obtuse manifestations. The Geist Cycles, in particular, reports to deal with "people interacting to interpret an idea of life in transit to an afterlife." Apparently this is a bleak, foggy experience, as it's extremely difficult to predict Off the Sky's movement outside of the current bar. Things are predominantly minimal, sometimes ambient, sometimes experimental, and often droney. After awhile, it becomes abundantly clear that the subtle shifts in styles is just as important if not moreso than the shifts in instrumentation itself.
The tracks themselves are of little consequence. Corder's intent was that this transit is one large experience which cannot readily be broken down into several different pieces. Although the tracks themselves aren't linear, it's not to say that the cloth from which they were cut is not a single entity. Comparing tracks is as tedious as pulling apart clouds, if only to attempt to discover their 'inner secrets'. Some sparkle, some dazzle, some merely exist, but they all play a part in a larger body of work. Conceptually, the proposed framework becomes somewhat dislodged from the actual presentation of the music, but I suppose that is just a drawback of working with the chaos.
For the average listener, Off the Sky will sound like just another run of the mill electronic musician, probably barely worthy of a second glance. Those wishing to dine with Corder and enter his bizarre world will discover a different side to his recordings, one which is more coherent and impressive than previously imagined. Still, in an ideal world this division is mended and Corder is able to satisfy all with a single, swift spin of a compact disc, yet this is not it. But, probably someday soon it will be a tangible goal well within his grasp, if he so chooses that route.
Lee Whittefield, The Silent Ballet
