Double vinyl LP pressing. 2015 release, the third full-length album by En, the Bay Area-based duo of multi-instrumentalists Maxwell August Croy and James Devane. It was recorded over the last few years in a variety of contexts and follows upon 2012's well-received Already Gone, further developing the diverse palette of that record. Across four sides, the pair presents exotic, transportive and richly detailed pieces that toe the line between ecstatic, long-form ambience and elegant, structured electronic composition. As always, Croy's koto is a focal point, it's distinctive tone ringing out amidst the hazy guitar, vocal and synthesis environments that surround it. The material ranges from moody to celestial, from cool to white hot. Pieces such as quot;Blonde Is Backquot; and quot;Mendocino Nature Ravequot; merge sizzling modular synth lacework with plaintive, familiar drone clouds to rapturous ends, while the two-part quot;Songs for Diminished Lovemakingquot; sequence charts a more minimal and nostalgic course. Students of Decay is pleased to present En's most realized and defining statement to date, a welcome addition to the ever-expanding and fertile topography of American West Coast drone music.
