Carl Stone – Electronic Music From The Eighties And Nineties
(Unseen Worlds)

In 2016, Unseen Worlds released a compilation of music by American composer Carl Stone appropriately titled Electronic Music From The Seventies & Eighties. Personally, this collection was a revelation as I had never heard of Stone before I saw this record in the shop and it has yet to leave my late night listening queue ever since I brought it home. So when I heard that Unseen Worlds was releasing a second installment of Stone's work, I knew without any investigation that it was a must. The most defining characteristic of Stone's aesthetic is the hypnotic effect his music has on the listener. Through a distinct process of time stretching and stacking of sonic layers, his music simulates the experience of a whirlpool of sound until by the end, you feel further away in time and space. Eighties & Nineties does however feel varied in comparison to its predecessor. Stone's 1970's material feels slightly more academic in comparison to his later work. This is most likely due in part to the advances in the technologies Stone was utilizing, particularly his ability to use and abuse digital delays. By the 1980s, it's clear that his approach was more instinctual than conceptual. Eighties & Nineties almost has a Fourth World vibe to it that is strongly reminiscent of Jon Hassell's definitive works, but again, the hypnotic effects of this music cannot be overstated. As much as I love ambient music, there is something seriously potent about Stone's compositions that set him apart and put him in a world of his own. (Adam)
Check out a track here.