Release data:

Stephen Parsick – Permafrost – music for hibernation
CD-R, Private Release, 2010

The music of “Permafrost” (music for hibernation) was initially set in motion by a nine-hour sleep concert Stephen Parsick contributed music to in 2009, produced with the idea of allowing the listener to create your own “sleep concert” at home.
Then, from December 2009 til March 2010, Western Europe suffered from a severe and unusually long and cold winter, which gave an extra boost of inspiration to create music mirroring cold and frosty conditions.

During the process of refining and carving the core elements for the soundscapes, Parsick applied a digital multi-track recorder, a variety of analogue and digital synthesisers, sampling systems, processors, his usual loop devices. He even “played” ice by running a range of drones and sounds through the ice of a solidly frozen lake while close-miking the outcome, which he would later use for processing and creating sounds.

Well, the music of “Permafrost” is all about dense, slow morphing and flowing textural plains with organic elements demanding focussed listening.
Moreover, these vast sonic landscapes are gradually evolving and moving forward like a glacier while the listener is being submerged deeper and deeper in an imminent cold, remote and sometimes even otherworldly environment with no boundary conditions.
“Permafrost” is an intense sound experience by all means. Well done, Stephen!

There are actually two versions available of this impressive work of (what Stephen refers to as) dark glacial ambient music: there’s the full three-hour score (a download-only which can be bought through MusicZeit), while a slightly abridged edition of the album is available as cd-r on demand (in the usual all-black livery) from Stephen directly.

Website: www.parsick.com

You can see what reviews I have done of this artist on the Stephen Parsick artist page