The OO-Ray, aka Ted Laderas of Portland, Oregon, has begun the year with a welcoming suite of sine wave improvisations. Titled “Daijobu,” the 11-plus minutes are divided into three segments of pulsing, lightly percussive sequences. Each passing moment contains casual contrasts between varied elements: pads against grains, warping audio against genteel ambience, warbles against glistens. That the source is mere sine waves can boggle the mind, so distinct are the resulting components that Laderas puts into play. It’s also great that it’s one full piece, rather than a playlist of three tracks. It works better as a whole this way. Sure, you can direct someone to your favorite third, or your favorite instance, but it’s best heard as intended: from beginning to end. It’s also interesting, for long-time listeners of OO-Ray’s music, because there’s no cello, which is his main instrument. Laderas sets the pace for the year — modest, economical — by starting with the simplest of source material.
Track originally posted at soundcloud.com/ooray. More from Laderas at 15people.net and twitter.com/ooray.