Drape – An Idea And Its Map

Edition of 400 copies. Black vinyl, 180 Gram pressing. Gatefold sleeve + OBI strip. Purchase of LP will include a download code of the album…

Drape is an ambient duo comprised of Ryan Gracey and Spencer Williams. They have been crafting soundscapes since 2004. Their debut, ‘dream words’ (Gears of Sand) saw a limited CDR release in 2009. It was well received and garnered comparisons to Stars of the Lid, early 70’s Tangerine Dream as well as late 80’s space ambient. Their follow-up was an interesting pairing on cassette – a split w/ experimental artist Odd Nosdam.

‘An Idea And Its Map’ marks a refined leap forward in Drape’s sound. While less space music, there is certainly more expansion. It is a smudged and blended orchestra of drones on the opener ‘Solo in High Dreary’ and those drones are split apart in slow-motion – eventually revealing a single guitar tone. Moments of sublime resonance as on ‘The Visible The Untrue’ anchored by piano, and notes that float, seemingly carried in on a breeze. All is not as it seems with an undercurrent of ground swelling, oscillating air – somewhere in the distance there is a storm assembling. Ebb and flow between light and dark – silver lined black clouds converge on the B side opener ‘fanfare for lake flies’. The strings, guitar, siren calls are assembled and plastered to one another. A thick blanket of overwhelming beautiful cacophony results. The album’s close is as much filtered white noise as it is heavenly chords. The dual slow-motion treated guitar present thoroughout ‘An Idea…’ diverges between pools of dissonant feedback, howls of wind, and melodic drones.