SOMA Labs Music's first release in 2024 comes from the Scotland-based genius artist and photographer Subradial. In a way it’s a dedication to the conceptual synthesizer SOMA TERRA, which is also reflected in the title of the release: Gelida Terra.
SOMA Labs Music's first release in 2024 comes from the Scotland-based genius artist and photographer Subradial. In a way it’s a dedication to the conceptual synthesizer SOMA TERRA, which is also reflected in the title of the release: Gelida Terra.
“Gelida Terra (Frozen Earth in Latin) was recorded during last winter and consists of selected live performances with SOMA Terra as the only instrument processed through SOMA Cosmos and chains of various effect pedals. I didn't have any particular idea prior to those performances so I just went for it, improvising and playing Terra while also tweaking various effect pedals to expand Terra's sounds and create additional layers and soundscapes on the fly. I really enjoy Terra's immediacy and expressiveness- momentary parameter changes and hand movements can lead to so many nuances, happy accidents and discoveries, and it quickly became my favourite instrument for live performances.”
Subradial
In the best traditions of atmospheric ambient, Gelida Terra is full of viscous, enveloping textures that draw the listener into a magical frozen world. The simple track names Part I, Part II, etc leave complete freedom of interpretation when listening to these compositions.
Only the listener decides what these parts consist of and what plot will unfold throughout the entire album. Or maybe none at all? Maybe it’s just contemplation of the world around us as it is? Or is it the lost soundtrack to a fictional expedition to the Antarctic which disappeared while attempting to explore uncharted frozen lands?