The track’s title is “Is Born.” Clearly, even before listening, this is a truncation (a reverse-truncation?) of a familiar phrase sung this time of year. The song is “Silent Night” made even more silent. The lyrics are muffled, the melody all the more so, until it’s less a song than a memory of a song, thin layers of synthesized tone occasionally letting their source material edge toward recognizability.
The version is by **Todd Elliott**, who records as **Toaster**. The brief liner note accompanying the song says, “I did this for a compilation that I didn’t make it on. I am too dissonant for ambient Christmas.” It may not have made its intended destination, but it’s sure to find an audience.
Track originally posted for free download at [soundcloud.com/toaster-1](https://soundcloud.com/toaster-1/is-born). More on Toaster/Elliott at [toaster.bandcamp.com](http://toaster.bandcamp.com/) and [twitter.com/toddbert](https://twitter.com/toddbert). Two other “Silent Night” renditions, one by Scanner and the other by Robert Fripp, were [mentioned here yesterday](https://disquiet.com/2012/12/23/silent-night-robert-fripp-scanner/).