After releasing the critically celebrated ambient noise album, Lambent Material, Portland composer Matthew Cooper showed the full range of Eluvium’s aesthetic. An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death was a classically-minded instrumental approach to Cooper’s minimalist drones. Though he’s since returned to Lambent’s sonic palate, Copia again embraces his gentler side. Majestic classical statements are evoked through a deep, room-filling fog. Cooper’s minimal noise slates translate well into orchestral arrangements, taking pride in being steadfastly repetitious. Such compositions are not meant to stun so much as to sink into the wall and quake out harmonic passages. There are a few more lucid moments that do away with the sweaty coat of drone, one of which grabs tightly to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” for inspiration (“Prelude for Time Feelers”), and another adds finishing touches to the aesthetic worn-in, droning hymnals (“Requiem on Frankfort Ave.”). From there he ventures into solo piano work, which, while easy on the ears, lacks much of the ambition found on the album’s more filling pieces. The album closes with the funereal moan of “Repose in Blue,” a somber meditation that ends in canon fire. Copia further explores the ambient side of classical music with simplistic flare, one that occasionally trips on its own bombast but more often melts into the ear. Whether fans of Matthew Cooper’s more ear-rinsing work will latch on is to be seen; more may wonder when they next get to hear another album like this from Eluvium. [SRM]
Eluvium: www.eluvium.net
Temporary Residence: www.temporaryresidence.com
