Evensong by Ian Manire
"Evensong" is a thirty-two minute suite of six interlinked ambient / drone / textural improvisations.
"Laser Beam" is a cover of the original by Low, from their 2001 album 'Things We Lost in the Fire'.
A few thoughts on "Laser Beam":
This abstracted take on Low's original is my small and humble thanks to Mimi and Alan for all the beauty and hope they've brought to my life and to so many others. Their kindness has always been as boundless as their talent. As one small example, Alan did a long email interview with me back in 2003, even though I was just a rando kid with no publication behind me at the time (though thankfully it ended up being published by PopMatters), and yet he answered all of my overly verbose questions with kindness and interest. He and Mimi always took time after every show when I saw them live to talk with those who hung around. Through the darkest days of Covid, they brought us all into their living room every Friday, and shared a little of the hope they lived in, when we needed it so desperately.
Mimi's musical brilliance shone through all of her music, but her warm, sweet, incomparably beautiful singing on "Laser Beam" was always for me the purest distillation of her gifts. I tried to undertake this cover in the days after she passed, but though I never knew her, found that I could not keep my eyes free of tears and my hands steady enough. Finally, nearly a year later on what should have been her next birthday, I revisited "Laser Beam" and was able to complete what I hope honors her and Alan's work. As in all of Low's music, I hope in my take, you can hear the light and the dark in us all try to work it out.
The album was made with sounds of pipe organ, double bass, Hammond organ, electric guitar, Wurlitzer, upright piano, harmonium, and cello, married with processed field recordings from around my city of Providence, Rhode Island. Recorded in late August to early September, 2023.
For Mimi
Tracklist
| 1. | Evensong | 31:51 |
| 2. | Laser Beam | 8:11 |
Credits
Improvised, recorded and produced by Ian Manire.
