The garden sprouts anew.
Dominic Thurgood a.k.a. Phexioenesystems (read fˈɛktsiːnsˈɪstəmz) continues his “sound gardens” practice with “Empty Space Symbols”, a collection of fleeting, bouncing works. An assortment of moments in a time of a place, as if caught existing spontaneously by themselves, only to be captured by Dominic's deft hand for sound psychogeography.
Eight pulsating tracks, crafted meticulously under distinct tuning systems of 2)4 Hexany and 2)5 Dekany, rumble, ping, and glide giving the impression that the Eurorack and Ciat-Lonbarde Plumbutter used by the artist contain a secret civilization trying to communicate. Instead, the sounds bubble up from Thurgood’s abstract reflections on a person or a place. Despite their personal, yet secret connections, their warm spaciousness invites the listener to bring their own stories to the table. Motifs repeat only to be subsumed, chiming and fizzing, by a new mutation of the established sound — like looking at an old photograph when dreaming; the flow of sonic vapour is at the same time familiar and new, again and again. Held in an enveloping yet kinetic stasis, the sound gardens of “Empty Space Symbols” sprout with new meaning every listen, their free compositions unraveling in patience and glistening with promise.
Sometimes, these environments are derived from field recordings (Butterfly Lands”, “Nina Bellbird”) and natural phenomena; other times their jumping-off point is the tool used (“Twin Fog”, from ‘Madrona Labs ‘Sumu’ (=Fog) synthesizer). Together, the follow-up to 2024's acclaimed “White Cotton Octagonal” sees Thurgood in full force, creating a mysterious sonic world — abstract, emotional, and unknown — ripe for cultivation.