(((O))) : Ave Grave & Unlearn – Ave Grave x Unlearn

Probably the first name that comes up to mind when imaginative use of tape loops is mentioned is William Basinski. Quite a few artists took the same route, both before and after him, with the number of those that stood out in innovative techniques and high-quality results without excessive repetitiveness, overtaking imagination is not that great.

Yet, with their self-titled release, the duo of Ave Grave (Berlin-based artist Sean Galloway) and Unlearn ( San Francisco- based artist James Key) have joined that rarified group that uses tape loops and in their case, also committed one-take performances, to set their own path and bring some well-needed imagination to this specific music-creating process.

It is no surprise that the composing process for this album was done remotely, but the listeners get the sense that shared intuition is very much present in the recorded music here, as it is quite clear flowing without any jarring moments.

The key here, as is with any ambient-related set of sounds, is whether it keeps the listener involved, whether he is able to penetrate its mood and, well, ambience, and Galloway and Key have found the resolution to every obstacle here, including that of the possible elephant in the room – boredom. Ave Grave & Unlearn, as they call themselves here, have created music that ebbs and flows with ease, creating the exact mood pieces that they set out to do.