“A Vessel in the Fog” was the title of a live video that Orbitalpatterns, the Michigan-based synthesizer musician, posted back in July on his YouTube channel. Shortly after its initial release, I praised how its textures [“twist and turn like clouds of smoke, turning in the air before vaporizing and being replaced by something else, something similar and yet apart.”](https://disquiet.com/2020/07/15/orbital-patterns-goes-deep/) That track now is one of seven that comprise *Bitter Magicians*, a fine album of exploratory compositions. Many of the pieces evolve considerably as they advance. Take how “The Magicians Notebook” moves from wispy and hesitant to something denser, more full-throated, or how the singsong sway of “Demi-Gods Ramble” gets more orchestral as it presses on. Which isn’t to say, as an atmosphere-minded musician, Orbitalpatterns (aka Abdul Allums) shys away from the sublime. If anything, the final track, a warpy treat titled “That Last Mile Will Go On Forever,” is engulfed by its own echoes by the time it slurs to a close. *Bitter Magicians* is a tremendous collection throughout.
Album originally posted at [orbitalpatterns.bandcamp.com](https://orbitalpatterns.bandcamp.com/album/bitter-magicians). More at [instagram.com/orbitalpatterns](https://www.instagram.com/orbitalpatterns/).