Répercussions

Compiling two lengthy pieces commissioned for festival performances along with a shorter track that was originally released on a split single with Cindytalk, 2012’s Répercussions found Robert Hampson in excellent creative health as he continued to explore new approaches in the realms of experimental music in general. Designed to be heard as ‘diffusions,’ meaning multichannel/speaker surround sound experiences, both main pieces still intrigue even in a more common home stereo approach. As the punningly-named title track indicates, its emphasis lies in the use of percussive instruments – something which fans of his 1990s Main work may find bemusing given their stated embrace of ‘drumless space,’ but as there ultimately the question is using compositional tools to explore sonic possibilities, collaged and intermingled in echoed, lush, drone-tinged fashion. “De la Terre à la Lune,” meantime, explores similar realms with less overt use of percussive, but a similar sense of immersion, conceived around classic cinematic portrayals of space travel, from beeping ships to the silent gulfs of time.