Austinite Michael "Thor" Harris is practically a modern day renaissance man: multi-instrumentalist, painter, art and bicycle repair instructor and environmentally conscious DIY home builder. He has appeared on many others albums and performed live locally and nation-wide, but he's probably best known outside Austin city limits as percussionist for Michael Gira's The Angels of Light.He thoroughly confounded and impressed me on the Angels' debut tour in 1999 with his highly energetic and physical attacks, alternated conversely with delicate melodies and textures. For "Fields of Innards" Thor (with fellow Austinite Rob Halverson) has constructed, as the subtitle states, "a hand played ambient record" that shares sensibilities with the Angels' more subtle backdrops. The disc is comprised of a dozen untitled, instrumental tracks all less than five minutes apiece, but consider it one continuous 45 minute piece. It sounds like Thor used many of the same tools here as with the Angels: percussion, hammer dulcimer, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibes and water bowls. This percussive palette of mostly mellow dings and pings is augmented with stringed plucks and drones, a bit of organ and found sounds such as trodden leaves. It's all very tranquil and graceful, carefully composed and impeccably recorded, trickling by like a refreshing, remote brook. But don't think of it merely as ear candy for there's not a trace of New Age ickiness is to be found anywhere. Thor's approach is both experimental and melodic, with occasional accents reminiscent of music boxes, the Middle East and the Far East. "Fields of Innards" is a genuinely affective ambient album that has become my new nightly soundtrack for sleep. Check out http://maryt.home.texas.net/thorsite/ for more info.
samples:
Read More
