Lethosomn - Mind's Isle
[Self Released]

Joel Bidwell, the brainchild behind Lethosomn, conceived “Mind’s Isle” during a fifteen month period during which he was plagued by an aggressive bout of insomnia, a condition he has, in fact, struggled with throughout his life.

Taking inspiration from the desperate and hopeless frustration manifested through not being able to sleep, “Mind’s Isle” details Bidwell’s obsession with a particular journey into the unknown subconscious – a journey that, he is keen to point out, was afraid that he would “never return from” had he crossed a certain point.

One man’s toil, though, is most definitely our gain as this record is an immersive piece of work, containing five passages of hulking piano and synth led ambiance, lined with veiled, reverbed melodies and powerful field recordings of lurking storms and unforgiving seas.

As an avid student of music (Bidwell has studied Composition, Technology and classical piano at The State University of New York in Albany since 2004), “Mind’s Isle” has been designed as a Gestamkunstwerk, a term closely linked with German composer Richard Wagner meaning ‘total or complete artwork’. Given that, there is a strong sense of atmosphere on each of these five pieces, ably abetted by recurring melodic themes and Bidwell’s array of abrasive and, at times, unstable found sounds.

The peaceful opening strains of “Fight the Current, Adrift in Tide” starts this journey but a dramatic, almost orchestral synth progression will soon have you teetering on the edge of oblivion, with this long-running motif managing to come across as both subtle and complex in equal measures. “Engulfed in Red Clouds” closely follows, suitably, and menacingly, capturing the listener in the middle of a particularly violent storm, with dark keyboard tones, varying on themes established on the opening piece, echoing somewhere in the distance.

The all consuming nature of both “The Path Least Traveled” and “Your Answer Lies in the Mirrored Wood” enhance the feelings of despair within this disc, the dense atmospherics vaguely recalling Virginian Post-Rock legends Labradford, as Bidwell expands on the spacious nature of his sound. The tranquil ending of the latter is perhaps an indication of solace, that maybe the author of this work has, at last, found some peace.

Having said that, Bidwell truly excels when opting to tone down the claustrophobia on the resplendently beautiful “Left Behind”, a poignant, twilight piano-led number that effortlessly captures the plaintive glory of Vangelis’ “Tears in Rain”. A compelling debut indeed.

Track Listing:

1. Fight The Current, Adrift In The Tide
2. Engulfed In Red Clouds
3. Left Behind
4. The Path Least Traveled
5. Your Answer Lies In The Mirrored Wood