while i've found next to nothing being said about caen, i did manage to see gordon ashworth's name connected to this project via cassette gods review of his despairing summer tape. outside of that, this project is a mystery. if it is ashworth, i'm glad that he's chosen a new name for his solo project, since the music is drastically different. when i was reviewing the crawlspace cd, i was just thinking how confusing it can be (and is) when projects or bands you follow decide to go off on different tangents from what their entire fanbase was built off of, yet keep the same name. new name, new musical identity. take luasa raelon's switch to envenomist, or better still, borges' own pedestrian deposit to emaciator.
caen's furthering the harsh vets turned introspective trend that i've seen slowly developing over the last few years. while the stark departure and contrasts in sound have been unique, i wouldn't expect it to work both ways. meaning, you shouldn't hold your breath for that harsh noise album by eliane radigue anytime soon.i find that ethereal is the perfect word to describe the history of your immediate surroundings. a word like ambient has dual meanings and, more often than not, the one that i'll think of first is of the innocuous background sounds variety. the beautiful sonic layers and gently undulating drones of side a's a swell of winter memories (the track's title serves up the perfect description) are a far cry from the ancillary white noise that one would put on just to break the silence. no, this is the type of music that exists for attentive ears. by design, a track like sites isn't going to wow you with its complexity. the formula's pretty simple: multiple layers of warm, repetitious textures, drones and otherwise pleasing sounds. the formula's also beside the point. the only thing that matters is what music like this can evoke in you.
on the inside of the tape's cover, down at the bottom, is this: "intended for high volume listening in cold bedrooms". again, he's making my job easier by being completely accurate. immediate surroundings shouldn't be played for your friends or at work, it feels far too personal. this is what you listen to when you're staring at the world outside your window, wondering why you aren't out there, or for when all you want to do is spend the day in bed with someone you care about. captivating, reflective and easily one of my favorite cassettes of this year