Steve Hauschildt, “Dissolvi” (Ghostly International)
After the dissolution of Zen zoners Emeralds in 2013, their members—Mark McGuire, John Elliott, and Steve Hauschildt—branched off into rewarding solo careers. The latter has released four compelling albums for the excellent Kranky label that exhibit Hauschildt’s knack for merging ambient, low-friction IDM, and New Age elements into spacious, wonder-filled compositions.
Now on Ghostly International and relocated to Chicago, the musician has released Dissolvi, a becalmed deviation into minimal, atmospheric techno that everybody has compared to the output of Kompakt Records. For a change, everybody isn’t off the mark. The eight tracks on Dissolvi split the difference between that Cologne label’s iconic Pop Ambient and Total series.
“Dissolvi” ends the album on its grittiest and greatest note, as Hauschildt adorns every beat with a halo of glitchwerks while his synths incrementally swell and tintinnabulate to a majestic climax. The track sounds like an awe-inspiring outtake from Autechre‘s Amber, the peak of that legendary English duo’s early phase.
You can catch Hauschildt performing at Belltown Yacht Club with CMD, Michael Vallera, and K. Hudson on Sunday, June 16. The event’s organized by Open System, a “Pacific Northwest artist collective dedicated to exploring the intersection of sound and spirit,” so you know it’s going to be lit.
