The Void Of Expansion • Governed by Decay [LP+CD]

Governed by Decay by The Void Of Expansion on vinyl.

Part one and two comes on 180g colored vinyl, part three is included on CD.
Limited edition of 200 copies. Released on Febr. 12th, 2019.

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It is unlikely that there are many bands currently working with a more appropriate moniker than the Swedish/Belgian duo The Void of Expansion. Existing within broad and experimental soundscapes, their music occupies a seemingly endless terrain of free space. But while it is a place of exploration it is also place in which losing oneself is strongly encouraged. Comprised of Dirk Serries and Tomas Jarmyr (Yodok III, Motorpsycho, Fear Falls Burning), they bring to the table extensive experience in the realm of experimental music, channeling their deep understanding and organic approach to crafting sound into free-form compositions that paint with bleak and mysterious strokes but also offer the reward of beautiful discovery for curious and adventurous listeners.

Their newest creation Governed By Decay is an exploration of what can grow anew when you allow for the utter breakdown of your surroundings. Featuring a single extended composition per side, this record never presses and never attempts to build an easily inhabitable space for either the listener or the artist. Instead, it begins from a place of deconstruction, taking things that would - in certain contexts - be secondary elements and allowing them the space to grow and ultimately shine of their own volition. Although the music comes from a conceptual landscape that may once have been referred to as free jazz, what listeners will find instead are whispers of that idea folded into the peripheries of other ideas – just beyond the end of one’s sight lies the patient plains of drone, the wispy, blurred edges of shoegaze, the distant melodies of post-rock. While none of these elements ever take a firm hold, they nevertheless matter deeply, and it’s the way in which the combination of minimalist approaches combines to form a whole that is nebulous and ever-shifting but nevertheless tangible is what lies at the heart of The Void of Expansion’s powers as thoughtful and driven masters of sonic exploration.

This is not a journey for the casual listener, but as is often the case the greatest rewards lie beyond the most difficult challenges. If you are seeking to learn how the manipulation of the sparsest sounds can be formed into something entirely engaging, or to witness how true musical artists can compose fully-realized works without once leaning on the riff-and-hook formula, perhaps you are prepared for Governed By Decay. As a bonus, those who purchase the vinyl release will also receive a nearly 30-minute continuation of the record on a CD that will not be available individually otherwise.

— text by David Zeidler at Young Epoch

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