Bodies of Water, Pt. II by Minua

In Sound, a choral synth floats in and out like mist over a rocky shoreline. Beneath it, distorted bass swells arrive without warning—dense and tectonic. These elements blend and blur, forming a collision that resolves into stillness. There’s beauty here, but also rupture. Á begins with the tactile immediacy of acoustic guitar, a grounding voice that echoes Minua’s early palette. Behind it, airy harmonics shimmer, anchoring the track in the group’s ambient lineage. Past and present intersect as looping guitar figures mesh with slow-moving weight. The descending motif from Oxbow reappears – slower, darker – less a lead than a foundation. Gradually, the guitars fade, leaving a sustained low register in suspended stillness.

Anastomos opens with plucked, arpeggiated synths that cycle with near-imperceptible variation. The pattern is elusive, revealing little on its surface. Wind-like atmospheres rise behind it, shifting the space around the pattern. Then, abruptly, the pulse drops out. Bass clarinet and euphonium take over, presenting the now-familiar motif in a drawn-out and misaligned passage that unfolds slowly, like a question without resolution. Ghostlike synths and reverb-heavy textures enter, unidentifiable but emotionally precise. The piece circles back to its beginning, though softened—what was once plucked is now flowing. Echoes ripple backward as if the current had reversed.

With Gyre, the album reaches another large form: a twenty-minute piece named after a massive system of circulating currents. Bass clarinet and euphonium are joined by organ, synthesizers, and electric guitars, creating a sound that is densely orchestral. The piece follows the cycle of fifths, harmonies folding into each other in continuous motion. One wave merges into the next, without beginning or end—a spiral, always in motion, never still.

credits

Kristinn Kristinsson – electric guitar, synthesis
Luka Aron – acoustic guitar, modular synthesizer
Fabian Willmann – bass clarinet, clarinet
Raphael Rossé - euphonium, serpentino

All compositions by Kristinn Kristinsson except Sound by Luka Aron
Recorded by Adam Asnan.
Mixed by Kristinn Kristinsson.
Mastered by Luka Aron.
Cover photography by Kristinn Kristinsson.
Graphic Design by Luka Aron.
© 2025 Hout Record