Prism Of Dust

Written, recorded and performed by Ross Gentry, January-August 2020 Strings performed by Emmalee Hunnicutt - cello & Megan Drollinger - violin Strings recored by Ross Gentry & Patrick Kukucka Cover photo by jsf Cover drawing by Lisa Nance Mastered by Ian Hawgood We are excited to welcome Ross Gentry to the label with his beautiful new LP Prism of Dust. Ross is based in North Carolina and has released albums through labels such as Bathetic, Adversary, and Oscarson under his own name and under the Villages moniker. I’ve been a fan of his work for a number of years and am truly thrilled to be able to help bring his new work into the world. Prism of Dust contains gorgeous compositions for strings, piano, synthesizers and electronics and is available in a limited vinyl edition on translucent tan coloured LP. "I've always had a tendency to hoard old recordings. I often find myself buried in false starts and unfinished ideas. I felt like this could be an intriguing way to begin a new project. A purge of these cluttered hard drives and half finished sketches. A repurposing of forgotten material to form something new. I had hours of recordings from a time some years ago when a friend had lent me his mellotron while he was in between homes. In 2018 I had written and recorded some simple pieces for cello and violin that were beautifully performed by Emmalee Hunnicutt (cello) and Megan Drollinger (violin). Using granular synthesis, as well as computer and tape manipulation processes, I reshaped and reworked all of these early sketches. My goal was to abstract the original recordings into nearly indistinguishable versions of their original form. Combining these older recordings with new ideas, layering synths, piano, percussive elements and found sounds, it laid the groundwork for the overall production of the album." Thematically, I was originally inspired by two monumental works of modern fiction, Tom Perrotta's 'The Leftovers' and Don Dellilo's 'White Noise'. Both of these stories explore the human tensions, uncertainty and existential dread that ensues when a massive mysterious event shakes the foundation of what we perceive as normalcy and how these events can damage, reshape and reform the human psyche. Of course, these ideas were greatly amplified when, halfway through recording this album, the global pandemic hit and were all forced into our own isolation and existential unknowing." credits released April 23, 2021