SURREAL TRANSIT

credits

Igloo Mag

A rich sound flows, drifting through the sonic textures of electric, natural and urban, electronic and field recordings, radio crackled voices, loops and textures, but with no reliance on words.

Beatless sonic spells that ground, activate, calm and inspire

Our planet, spirits and ancestors all reflect the solar multiverse that is here to help us all. A rich sound flows, drifting through the sonic textures of electric, natural and urban, electronic and field recordings, radio crackled voices, loops and textures, but with no reliance on words. While studying and exploring nature Jordan Christoff tends to listen to beatless sonic spells that ground, activate, calm and inspire.

What creates balance? What creates harmony? What creates joy? What creates understanding? How can we develop and share these aspects of being through a myriad of approaches so everyone and everything can benefit?

The natural environment of the ocean and lush green rainforests influences the sound of Jordan Christoff’s music. This is a delightful mix of warm, natural and fluid sounds. The air also seeks to acknowledge the full spectrum of the dynamics that occur on planet earth. We start by swirling in with abstract keys and textures, expanding into a reverb pool. I hear a complex combination of layers with what might be birds inside the electronics, “Soft Power” (2:33) swirls. The air evokes the sound of a water filled cave, the cave quiets. “Aether Nutrition” (5:19) is where the creature washes its food before eating it alive. The sound is well lit, smooth and playful while not becoming too complex or even more dark. There are hints and tones of people talking, I like the sound of voices, but I can make out no complete words, which emphasizes the melodic aspects.

Restless itching in the empty tunnel ::

Now we come to “Erratic Status” (10:10), a dense cloud of looping sounds, chimes and kids playing, vehicular horns getting stronger and uplifting all these lights, moving in circles, the carnival is way down below us now. “Möbius Floor” (2:06) suggests keyboard noodling and the sound of water, surf and waves hiss in the wind as a loop weaves it all together. A rugged ripping synth opens “Public Motion” (5:48), the sound of a rough electronic drone takes over, I love the odd mysterious chaos changing and repeating something which fits into a scheme hidden in layers of odd events.

“Harmonic Angels” (13:28) is mostly atmospheric with some unusual sounding areas, we are in a subway space where clanks echo, fading layers meet barging new layers butting in, with restless itching in the empty tunnel, while the night insects repeat their truth, and something is happening. I can hear activity which I cannot explain. “Pink” (12:46) is the closer, I imagine swans murmuring at night on a quiet pond, after all the amazing territory we have been through. I hear rain, maybe the loops keep flickering out there, continuing into a slow fade. Now that sense of ending changes, it transitions into something new, ending in haunting drone tones and wind-organ chords.

Joseph Sannicandro is a thinker, writer, traveler, sound organizer, contrarian, concerned citizen, and traveler currently living in Montreal. He writes about miscommunication, (un)popular culture, and the labor of creativity, and is interested in the analog humanities. He is also the creator of Sound Propositions, a column and podcast featuring conversations with musicians, composers, and sound artists discussing their creative practice.

Jordan Christoff resides on an island in the southern side of the Salish sea on Lekwungen territory. There are battles to protect the old growth rainforest at Fairy Creek on the island currently, the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion for tar sands also threatens the coastal ecosystem to which I and many hold dear. The environment is powerful, magical and sacred like the core of our natural world. There are beautiful environmental justice movements here on the island with strong Indigenous and youth led initiatives to shift and destroy settler colonial free market lobotomy government frameworks that destroy our planet.

All music and field recordings on Surreal Transit are by Joseph Sannicandro & Jordan Christoff