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departing souls

by John Oliver

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about

I created this album in March 2022, unable to concentrate on much else as news came of the daily murder of civilians in Ukraine and the destruction of their cities. In a kind of trance-like state, I improvised this music on a group of moody synthesizers, creating a number of recordings, from which I chose the best for this release. The result is somewhat like a symphony in several movements.

These are my "black paintings." I make direct reference to Goya's "Saturn Eating His Son" in one of the titles, and on the album cover. I was deeply moved to see Canadian painter Gordon Smith's series called "Black Paintings" at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2018.

Like these artists, I make no direct reference to specific political situations or institutions, wars, war crimes, and genocide, though the album is infused with my responses to these past and current events and injustices, and the titles hint at the source of inspration. I need to express this dark and uncomfortable experience in sound, to give voice to the last painful sounds of the murdered innocents, and an occasion for the living to reflect on these lives cut short by acts of individual or collective madness.

A portion of sales will go to support humanitarian aid worldwide.

credits

released June 17, 2022

John Oliver, LYRA*8, GR-1, MOOG synthesizers, Hologram microcosm delay
editing, mixing, mastering, cover image

All composition ©℗ 2022 John Oliver (SOCAN)

All Rights Reserved

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about

John Oliver Vancouver, British Columbia

electronic and soundscape music projects, ranging from classic musique concrète, to granular synthesis, and dark ambient. My instrumental and vocal music appears on several other labels and compilations. See my web site for details.

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