Jim O'Rourke & CM von Hausswolff - 2019 - In, Demons, In!

 

iDEAL Recordings – iDEAL189  175.49MB FLAC

In, Demons, In! is built around an unusually simple structure. Two side-long compositions, each lasting just under twenty minutes, occupy the entire record. There are no separate movements, no interruptions and no obvious landmarks dividing one section from another. That economy of form proves deceptive, because within those two extended pieces Jim O'Rourke and Carl Michael von Hausswolff construct an environment that continually shifts beneath the listener. What first appears to be a static electronic drone gradually reveals itself as a remarkably active landscape filled with tiny movements, unstable frequencies and slow transformations that become more compelling the longer they are observed.

Both musicians have spent decades exploring electronic sound from different directions. Von Hausswolff emerged through sound art, installation work, field recording and investigations into radio transmission, electrical phenomena and environmental resonance. His recordings often blur the distinction between natural and artificial sound, treating electromagnetic activity as musical material rather than scientific curiosity. O'Rourke arrived through tape composition, musique concrète, computer music and an unusually broad career that also encompasses rock, free improvisation and production. Their shared interests make this collaboration feel less like a crossover than a meeting between artists already speaking closely related languages.

The opening piece, "Halfway In," begins without announcing itself. A low electronic pressure occupies the room almost immediately, accompanied by distant harmonic activity that seems to drift in and out of focus. Rather than introducing recognizable themes, the duo establishes conditions for listening. Every frequency affects those surrounding it, creating gentle interference patterns that continually reshape the perceived texture. A sustained tone may initially appear stable before subtle beating frequencies cause it to shimmer, while faint noises emerge from within the larger drone only to disappear again beneath it.

One of the album's most remarkable qualities is its command of scale. Sounds frequently seem impossible to measure. A low vibration might suggest enormous industrial machinery operating somewhere beyond the walls, while high electronic tones hover so delicately they resemble microscopic activity taking place directly inside the listener's ears. Von Hausswolff has long been interested in the psychological effects of sustained frequencies, and those concerns remain central here. The music rarely overwhelms through volume alone. Instead, it gradually alters perception, encouraging attention toward details that would normally remain unnoticed.

O'Rourke's contribution is equally subtle. His experience with electroacoustic composition is evident in the album's pacing. Nothing changes quickly, yet nothing remains entirely fixed. Layers quietly accumulate before thinning again, producing movement without conventional development. The structure resembles weather rather than narrative. Pressure builds, disperses and returns in altered forms without requiring dramatic climaxes or obvious transitions. The listener often realizes that the music has changed only after several minutes have already passed.

The second half, "All the Way In," pushes further into abstraction. Bright harmonics become less prominent while lower frequencies assume greater importance. The sound field grows darker and denser, though never oppressive. Instead, it develops an extraordinary sense of depth. Some tones appear impossibly distant while others remain physically close, producing an illusion of enormous acoustic space despite the absence of identifiable environmental recordings. The distinction between synthesized sound, electrical interference and processed resonance becomes almost impossible to maintain.

Silence plays an essential role throughout both sides. More accurately, near-silence becomes another active component of the composition. Quiet passages reveal amplifier hiss, microscopic fluctuations and barely perceptible harmonic movement that would disappear within busier arrangements. Listening at higher volume exposes astonishing amounts of low-level information, rewarding patience rather than immediate excitement. The record continually reminds the listener that stillness is rarely empty; it is simply occupied by events occurring below ordinary attention.

The title itself suggests entering rather than observing. In, Demons, In! does not position mysterious forces outside the music but invites them inward, transforming the listening experience into something immersive and psychological. Whether those "demons" represent memory, electrical disturbance, subconscious thought or nothing more literal than unstable frequencies remains deliberately unresolved. The ambiguity becomes one of the recording's greatest strengths. Rather than illustrating an idea, the music creates conditions under which multiple interpretations remain equally convincing.

The production deserves particular attention because so much of the album depends upon preserving minute detail. Sustained frequencies retain their internal complexity without collapsing into featureless drones, while delicate high-frequency textures remain audible even during denser passages. Every element occupies carefully balanced spatial relationships, allowing sounds to emerge from surprising depths before slowly receding again. The stereo image becomes an active compositional tool rather than a simple method of separating instruments.

In, Demons, In! is ultimately less concerned with electronic sound as technology than with electronic sound as environment. Von Hausswolff and O'Rourke avoid displays of technical complexity in favor of patient observation, allowing frequencies, resonance and silence to interact according to their own internal logic. The result is a recording that changes with every listening session. Initial encounters reveal broad atmospheres and immense drones, while repeated attention uncovers hidden rhythmic pulsations, fragile harmonic shifts and subtle spatial illusions that continually reshape the experience. It stands as one of the most refined collaborations in either artist's catalog, demonstrating how little material is required when every sound has been placed with extraordinary care.