Always a treat, listening to the output of Susana López / Susan Drone. All the more so when the album title is an unambiguous tribute to Asmus Tietchens, whose impact on López’s experimentations is welcomed and even endorsed by this writer. Stupor Mundi comprises four tracks, two of which originate from reprocessed field recordings, the remainder from digital waveforms complemented by environmental echoes. My descriptive skills would probably not be sufficient to convey the level of animistic resonance summoned by the Spanish performer. Across rather straightforward frameworks, evidently relying on the permanence of a mantric electroacoustic underpinning, López walks the receptive listeners through a greater exposure of their perceptual channels without appearing like those quacksters who predicate a “before” and an “after”, but ultimately only care about personal glory. All the factors here make sense and, above all, produce tangible consequences on the psyche. They do not necessarily impart serenity – “Valhalla II” is actually quite eerie – but they will surely motivate people who merely wish to entrust themselves to Sound as a guidance. The lengthiest track, the 25-minute “Drones To Zazeela”, must be the starting point for anyone seeking a better awareness of the insights this artist is able to fathom.
Massimo Ricci. Beyond The Dust. 