Hey all! I hope that everyone is keeping healthy and not going stir crazy in these very interesting times. We can do this self-isolation thing. Just please be kind and loving to your fellow citizens, maintain your distance, and above all, stay positive! Me, I turn to music in times like these, and this lovingly crafted cassette courtesy of Julia Bloop is getting me through the social distancing blues.
Out of the Bloop was released by the now-defunct Patient Sounds label, an imprint that had been at the forefront of sonic curiosity for 10 years before calling it quits in 2019. As a matter of fact, this was one of the final cassettes to leave their hands before the proverbial towel was thrown. I was misty-eyed when I heard that M. Sage was drawing his lovingly-curated label to a close, but the legacy that he’s left behind certainly stands tall, and we have over 100 releases to return to when the need arises, so there’s that.
Rather than going out with a bang, Patient Sounds chose to drift off toward infinity, patiently. This is definitely reflected in the telltale loops and samples that have become a signature of Julia Bloop’s, and are featured readily on this stunning cassette. The most rabble rousing of the pieces on offer here is “Sailor”, which leads off the proceedings with a loping drum loop and an almost Hawai’ian guitar that dives in when it’s appropriate to do so. There are chirping birds as well, and this seems to be a thematic touch point throughout the cassette, as they appear again in “Pacific Sunset”. On this track, Bloop dials the drums back to a clickety-clack ratcheting that seems to grow more pervasive as the track progresses. Piano, sax, and other tones are sprinkled about gingerly, not merely decorative, but adding to the overall sense of good vibrations being transmitted.
“Deserted Shore” is even more mellow, a piano/guitar heartstring-tugger that tumbles through a bank of samples like that prince who rolls the Katamari ball around in that highly addictive video game. Along the same lines is “The Thrill of Shelter,” which seems to bounce around with a misty reverb that implies a cavernous locale of some sort. Eventually, it settles into a dreamy swirl of sound, before vanishing completely. And then there’s “Set Us Free of This World,” which is the culmination of all that came before it. A plethora of birdsong, piano, guitar and other samples are combined into a lengthy meditation on existence itself. This is a doozy and the perfect way to sign off such a lovely cassette.
Should you wish to investigate the wonderful world of Julia Bloop, you can find both physical and digital options at their Bandcamp. Enjoy, and once again, stay healthy and safe!