Bleep

Veteran American ambient artist William Basinski allies with minimalistic sound designer Richard Chartier for their third full-length collaboration entitled Divertissement, coming via Important Records. By now we’ve grown accustomed to being astonished by the joint works of these vital artists, with few able to match their highly textured, existentialist soundscapes in terms of impact and detailing. Both the 20-minute plus sides of Divertissement advance this fruitful relationship further, building up a dark-wash of shimmering aural stasis which patiently evolves organically throughout the piece. Whereas Basinski’s solo efforts tend to explore the transient beauty of lonely, collapsing loops; the impact of Chartier’s influence results in a more explorative structure.