Daniel Avery's
Together in Static consists of material he composed for a pair of seated, socially distanced concerts at the Hackney Church in London. Continuing a prolific streak for the artist, it arrives the year following a collaboration with
Alessandro Cortini (
Illusion of Time) and the surprise-released solo effort
Love + Light. Even more so than his other albums, this is decidedly a reflective set designed for home listening, with much of the material in ambient or downtempo mode. A thumping industrial techno track called "Yesterday Faded" appears early in the program, and its tough, craggy beats are surrounded by soft, atmospheric synths like a layer of mist partially obscuring a massive iceberg. "Nowhere Sound" is much closer to the
Casino Versus Japan/
Ulrich Schnauss school of downtempo IDM, with slightly tangy synths shining over slo-mo beats. "Fountain of Peace" seems like an exaggeration of trip-hop, with an absurdly blown-out, hissy drum loop and synths that seem to be reaching deep inside one's soul; the effect is both soothing and bludgeoning. Recalling early-'90s ambient techno at its most melancholy, "A Life That Is Your Own" also has a mystical vibe, but isn't sludgy. "Hazel and Gold" is much sunnier, sounding like an attempt to leave fear and tragedy in the past and look on the bright side. The only other uptempo track on the album, "Endless Hours," has more focused, energetic beats than "Yesterday Faded," and overall it seems more determined and motivated. The gorgeous closer "The Midnight Sun" is a straight-up flashback to the Artificial Intelligence era, and without getting bombastic, its optimism seems to outshine the lingering darkness of the rest of the record. Considering how quickly the album came together, it feels like a spontaneous rush to translate the emotions of being away from dance clubs for a year into music, with hope and anticipation winning in the end. ~ Paul Simpson