Album review: Brendon Moeller 'Mirage'

I’d like to give a huge shout out to Quiet Details, a label started about 18 months ago by the musician Alex Gold. Since its inception, the label has released an album every few weeks, all packaged with Alex’s beautiful artwork. Each album is a different musical interpretation of the label’s name - such a simple, but brilliant, idea. The result is a growing catalogue of simply fantastic music, mostly in a textural ambient vein. This is the first time I’ve followed a label from its beginning, and I’ve found the process to be really inspirational - it’s almost like having a friend introduce you to their favourite music. 

The latest release is by Brendon Moeller, and it’s another immersive listen.  The work is beautifully produced as befits a work created by such an experienced artist, and it has been expertly mastered by Alex. In something of a departure for the label, there are definite dub influences throughout, with great use of bass, and even occasional beats. Fragments of synth textures and sequences vie with broken drum breaks and field recordings, collaged and layered in an intriguing way. Different elements loom in and out of focus, nicely referencing the title concept. It’s almost as if components of the music are trying to break out and coalesce into alternative forms. 

There are some great touches in terms of sound design, and especially how all the different threads are woven together. The pieces on the album have been carefully sequenced, too - the momentum and intensity gradually builds as the album progresses. The percussive fragments featured on some of the earlier tracks start to coalesce into more coherent rhythms, and the bass intensifies. Consequently the mood becomes somewhat darker in tone as the album develops. Although the rhythmical and percussive elements come more to the fore, they never dominate proceedings - the overall result is always finely balanced, the consequence of a careful approach to mixing and arrangement. The whole set of pieces is very accomplished and engaging throughout; another great addition to the label.