Villages

***Asheville, NC's ROSS GENTRY takes his time fine-tuning his art. Theories Of Ageing is a pinnacle; prime example of the painstaking process a true artist can go through to sculpt a masterpiece. Gentry picks up his VILLAGES mantle and flows beyond himself, taking his delicate sounds to an epic field of staggering, emotional landscapes. Theories Of Ageing takes a sound process, weaving elements together, and in its finality, what's what is left in the wind. Delicate floating synth atmosphere with open-tuned acoustic guitar strums, banjo and piano slide in and out of the spaces, creating an entirely enchanting, if a bit haunting record. As a reference, Villages takes on a level of ambient artistry seen throughout the works of Labradford or Stars Of The Lid; never scared to embrace more than just textural sound layers; but also build, mould, and shape pure music. This is not background art. Recorded in the colder months of 2011 and 2012, snug and secluded, Gentry constructed a timeless piece—nostalgic in feeling, with an underlying optimistic emotion. Setting the overall mood, Theories of Ageing is layered with acoustic instruments at it's foundation—a pump organ, acoustic guitars, banjo, piano.  An eclectic group of electric and analog instruments, field and voice recordings are carefully woven throughout.  Recorded onto both reel to reel and digital formats, Theories is soaked with texture allowing for its vibrant consciousness to breathe. Villages is a force to be reckoned with, and we expect even more sincere greatness to come. Theories Of Ageing is a pristine record, full-force, beautiful, and robust in a tender way.