Nacht Plank - Echo Ark

...txt: 2014/2022

For as much as I've talked about his labels, his collaborations, and his influence upon modern ambient techno circles in general, I sure haven't covered much of Lee Norris' solo work. Indeed, of the twenty-seven items I have tagged with his name within this blog's archives, only four are of Lee on his own. And most of those tend to be Nacht Plank items, though that's not terribly surprising as it's the alias he's most often released under. Yeah, Metamatics and Norken may have given him more early momentum, but Nacht Plank seems to be where he feels most free in his musical journeys.

And that may also be why I haven't come back to it often. Alien was an interesting album with analogue '70s weirdness going for it, but boy do I need to be in a particular mood to enjoy it. Which is more than could be said for the raw experimentation I heard on Broad Tape Band. And as for Third Sacraments Council, well, it's certainly a solid slice of hour-long ambient drone, but again, only good for particular moods (chiefly, 'sweepy beddy-bye time'). All this is to say I needed something rather particular for me to indulge in a Nacht Plank release again.

And this Echo Ark album, that certainly looked to fit the bill. Just the cover art alone, EPCOT Center as viewed through some alternate lens, already sparks so many creative possibilities. The near-naive optimism of Disneyfied retro-futurism, twisted into some abstract tonal counterpoint, a lasting legacy of human hubris in the face of a society deformed from its former glory. I'm not saying Echo Ark is all that – indeed, maybe Lee presents this album with just as much Utopian idealism as Tomorrowland always envision. Given these colour tones though, I suspect not.

Opening Shepherd Satelite is a rather tranquil start though, the analogue bleeps and bloops kept mostly to a steadying heartbeat while synth pads gently slide and glide throughout- Oh, wait, things just took a tonal shift. Now we're in weirdly ominous territory, with additional transistor chatter. Did... did something happen? Has the grand plan fallen upon hard times? Well, whatever the case, following that is a near twenty-six minute long excursion of tranquil field recording manipulations, melancholy synths, and even a little pitter-patter of rhythm burbling to the surface now and then. Aminita, the piece is called, and if it don't conjure primordial vistas as seen through some viewscreen on the Prometheus (the one orbiting Solaris, I mean), I don't know what will.

The rest of Echo Ark (three tracks averaging a dozen minutes each) play out in similar fashion: field recordings, wistful synth pad melodies, light use of experimental sounds and effects. Overall a rather pleasant outing, especially considering the more foreboding tone the second half of Shapherd Satelite suggested. I guess even Lee couldn't get quite as cynical as some do whenever talking about the overtly celebratory nature of EPCOT's future vision for mankind.

Autumn Of Communion - 3

...txt/Fantasy Enhancing: 2013/2023

I cannot deny a little disappointment in the cover art of these AoC reissues. They're fine as is, but the originals were a class unto themselves. I get why its sometimes done, rights to original art perhaps only valid for the label they're originally released on. I don't understand why this particular release was changed though. The original Autumn Of Communion 3 came out on ...txt, another of Lee Norris' many labels. Shouldn't it track, then, that he could retain the rights to 3's artwork, even if it comes out on a different label? Polydeuces, also initially out on ...txt, kept its Saturn beauty shot for its recent reissue, so why couldn't 3 have kept the image of a wooden skiff in a dry lake at sunset? Right, its mostly playing to my weird fascination with land-locked water craft, while the alpine terrain of the reissue makes better sense as visual accompaniment for the ambient within. Just, y'know... abandoned boats, yo'!

So I didn't have much to say about 3 when talking up the rest of the Autumn Of Communion albums last review. I'll grant this is technically the last of the numbered self-titled albums that I finally heard (do single track 3.5 and remix LP 3.9 count in this? I wager not), so didn't have months or years worth of settling thoughts of it regardless. Even if I had heard this when it was new, however, I'm sure general consensus is this is the black sheep of the original four AoC albums.

I sense Misters Norris and Chillage spent plenty of hours just jamming away with their synths and such while crafting the first two AoC albums. Some structure in the final product had to be maintained though, since they were putting them out on other labels (Fax+ and Anodize, respectably). Same is likely true of Autumn Of Communion 4, initially a Carpe Sonum Records joint, so another LP with more variety of tempos. Something out on one of Lee's prints though? Hell, indulge to your heart's content in lengthy ambient drone sessions, and make a full CD's worth of it.

Right, things don't get too unwieldy on 3, the longest piece being opener In The Valley Of Tanaro at some twenty-three minutes. An ever-evolving track, it runs the gamut of gentle, wispy tones to wide-screen synth pads and burbling electronics, effectively capturing the sensation of being out and about open spaces – or cruising a river of northern Italy, in this case.

Follow-up Shoni provides the most rhythm of any piece, but is little more than the soft pitter-patter of ambient techno buried beneath grandiose synths. Rhea gets more mysterious and crystalline in its use of pads and echoes, is quite lovely, but not sure it needed an hour-plus exploration on 3.5. Disentastra gets back to the more opulent side of this album, while Teles feels of an experimental piece with its discordant layering of tones and timbre. Almost reminds me of Banco de Gaia's more minimalist moments.

Autumn Of Communion - 2

Anodize/Fantasy Enhancing: 2013/2022

For the longest time, I regarded this AoC album as one of their hardest items to procure. Yes, even more than the Autumn Of Communion debut on Fax+. Their second album on Anodize though? Forget about it. Never mind the short-lived ambient techno label is cultish even on the 'cult ambient techno label' spectrum, existing a mere two years and thus rendering their CDs extremely rare. Nay, saddle on the fact Autumn Of Communion 2 was released in a tin box, upping the 'collector's item' factor, creating one pricey item on the resell market. Definitely one in need of a reissue for those desiring a hard copy version, is what I'm saying.

It took nearly a decade (ignore the AoC box-set for now), but we finally got that reissue on Fantasy Enhancing. The first four Autumn Of Communion albums, in fact, with more on the way? Eh, I don't know if 5 and 6 really need them, but I see Polydeuces got one too. Point being, nearly everything worth having gets reissued eventually, if you're patient enough. One doesn't really need to break the bank on out-of-print items if you're a regular consumer of musical products. But man, some of those old, vintage tins, sure look nice and unique on one's shelves...

Anyway, Autumn Of Communion 2 is a great album, possibly the best of the duo's first run of numbered LPs. Not that the first and 4 are slouches, but if I were to do one of my 'Sportsing Survey' rankings, 2 would definitely rank tops.

For one thing, it refines most of what was presented on the debut, creating a much stronger flow between tracks. The Intervals, for example, are more evenly spaced, and feel like proper pauses between centrepiece tracks rather than sonic doodles there for their own sake. And while some may find them hokey, I quite like the included vocal samples of science talk and sci-fi jargon – really lends itself to that classic Fax+ vibe that inspired Lee and Mick's desire to work together in this project.

Opener Interpreter Of The Signs really hits those vintage Pete Namlook notes, what with the soft, slightly dubby beatcraft and spacious, spacey synths. So Powerful In The Mass gets more ambient techno, but does last a tad long at seventeen minutes in length, while Communion Signal does the tranquil, bleepy ambient for about a dozen minutes.

Then 2 practically shifts tone into Goodbye PK, Mick and Lee's tribute to Mr. Kuhlmann's passing. If this piece doesn't tug at all the feels deep in your chest cavity, you just ain't human, man. It kinda' leaves the brisk ambient techno of Cosmic Board Fusion out of sorts as a a follow-up, but the gentle field recordings of closer Perpetua grounds things back to Earth. So yeah, something of an album of two halves with a creamy middle. When most AoC LPs tend to come off just as a collection of tracks though, it's definitely a stronger listening experience.

Autumn Of Communion - Data Space Bass

Fantasy Enhancing: 2021

I kept thinking to myself, “That's it. I won't be getting anymore Autumn Of Communion albums, because how many more can there be after a 20-CD box-set?” Then they release more, and I think to myself, “Okay, maybe one more, but surely they've released all I've cared to hear at this point. What else could they they release that entices me back?” Then they release something that entices me back – it's a vicious cycle.

Like, how could I possibly resist this? Space! Bass! Orbital mechanics for cover art! A shade of blue! Seriously, showing off inner planet orbits is interesting, but I find it intriguing this diagram includes the orbit of Eros. While by no means a completely unknown hunk of rock, it doesn't get as much attention as other nearby dwarfs like Ceres or Vesta. Still, it was the first Amor asteroid discovered, first orbited and landed upon, and its orbit is tighter to the sun compared to larger Amor asteroid Ganymed, making it an easy fit on this particular diagram. I suppose getting a spotlight in The Expanse helped it gain popular culture cache too.

You'd think after taking in nine albums of AoC music (not to mention Lee and Mick's other musical ventures), I'd have a solid idea of what to expect going into another outing from the duo. Yet I can honestly say I had no idea what I might encounter here. A title like Data Space Bass has me thinking of some galactic funk, or cargo-bay rattling technobass, or deep, black hole dives into the lowest sonic registries imaginable. Not that Lee hasn't shown shown some adeptness at going a little Detroit in the past, but yeah, this isn't a lane typically travelled by Autumn Of Communion.

And nor is it on this album either. In fact, there's surprisingly little deep bass at all, used sparingly and generally in service of whatever ambient techno groove gets going. Why would I expect 'deep bass' at all? Oh, right, because my brain keeps thinking the title is 'Deep Space Bass', or 'Deep Space Network', or 'Deep Space Nine'. Constantly replacing 'Data' with 'Deep', is what I'm sayin'. Brains is so stupid sometimes.

To be honest, I kinda' dreaded I was in for a very experimental album, as opening track Space Ain't The Place opens with bloopy-hissy noises that had me recalling some of the more tedious excursions from IDM wonks. It isn't long before things settle into more traditional space sound effects and cosmic ambience though. And hey, this beat is kinda' funky too, in a dorky sort of way. Follow-up Fukes is more typical of AoC ambient techno, though sounding more spacious than other works. Most of the tracks maintain that mood, with a single thirteen-minute excursion of pure ambient (The Flow Of Telepathy) lodged in the middle.

Even if my weirdly off expectations weren't met, Data Space Bass is still a fun little outing from AoC. Until next time, lads, when the cycle begins anew.

Nacht Plank - Broad Tape Band

self-release: 2011

I feel like I've come full circle with this release, which is weird because I wasn't aware of travelling on any particular path. Maybe not so much a circle, but hexagon? A Fibonacci sequence spiral? Some sort of Lee Norris route that had me starting with a Nacht Plank album, and ending on a Nacht Plank album. Not that Alien and Broad Tape Band are the first or last of Lee's projects covered here. Of what I have checked out though, the former was the first of his solo outings, and I'm sure there will be other Norken, Metamatics, or Crowbar Stardust items down the line.

Somehow, I keep being drawn back to Nacht Plank, which is weird because I can't say it's among my favourite of Norris' projects, at least not enough for a full-on deep dive. Really, I only have this and Third Sacraments Council because they were among those Bandcamp giveaways he offered some years back. But hey, I liked that one, so maybe Broad Tape Band will bring something more to enjoy.

Eh? You remember me thinking Broad Tape Band as 'harsh'? Ah yes, I did mention that in the Alien review, after taking a small sampling of sounds. It wasn't hard coming to that conclusion skipping through tracks, eighteen in all. Only a few breach the four-minute mark, while several log in under three minutes. Plenty of space for weird sonic experiments with vintage gear, creating static bursts, sputtering sequencers and atonal drones. Not the most pleasant of noises to sit through, unless you're approaching things from a purely intellectual stance. Or are intimately familiar with the equipment used, and get your vibe on hearing the sounds coerced from them. For sure there are those out there who dig it, I'm just not one of them.

When Lee does let the music breathe a little, there is some nice stuff. I'll grant it's sporadic, and takes until track ten for such a thing to happen (at least for me), but A Plants Day In Stages at least feels like it's going somewhere, less about the abstract experimentation, and painting weird, avant garde minimalist portrait. Elsewhere, whatever 'songs' might have once existed in prior tracks are generally subsumed by glitchy noises or static noise. Only Paoiz hints at a song, but doesn't last long enough to stick in the brain.

But gosh, there's a real gentle melody to hang off on in Field Piano Form. A lovely little thing, piercing the analogue fuzz, occasionally drifting on dubby, metallic rhythms. It rather reminds me of Jam & Spoon's Ancient Dream, itself from their weirdo experimental album, Tripomatic Fairytales 2002, though not to such extremes as heard here. Speaking of 'remembering things', I swear some of the whirring noises in Sirron come from FSOL's Lifeforms, one of the interstitial bits. Or is it Henge I heard it? I dunno, all these whirring bits and transistor bloops kinda' run together after a while on this album.

Norken & Nyquist - Synchronized Minds

Intellitronic Bubble: 2020

Aha! There was another Lee Norris alias I had yet to cover. (no, Man-Q-Neon doesn't count; nor Nei Lorken) Norken's been around almost as long as Metamatics, emerging about the same time as Nacht Plank. I don't think this one gained quite the cult following as his others though, in that Lee never released Norken records on his own labels. Which makes sense, the Norken material not fitting so tidily on Neo Ouija or ...txt, as this is Mr. Norris' serious techno muzik alias. Okay, not that serious, but from what I sampled of his earlier albums, there's heavier emphasis on deeper, almost minimalist tech-house rhythms. That just wouldn't do for those labels plying more of a continuum of ambient techno IDM, nosiree.

Despite having mostly mothballed the project since the mid-'00s, Lee kept Norken around for sporadic items, eventually dusting it off with more regularity half a decade ago. Somewhere along the way, he became buds with Futuregrapher, and started releasing a whole bunch on his Móatún 7 print. And then, still feeling that proper techno twinge, he teamed up with Futuregrapher to start up another label together, Intellitronic Bubble. Gads, how many labels does Lee have running right now? Seven?

Okay, that's Norken sorted, so how about _Nyquist? Not nearly as much history, and much of it is in conjunction with Lee on Móatún 7. When Intellitronic Bubble started expanding into artist albums, it was decided their combined powers were a perfect kick-off for the throwback techno print. Doesn't hurt when you're part label-runner too. Of course, I knew very little of this, just that there was an interesting new label that Lee Norris was part of, and here's a cool piece of cover art featuring Arctic wastelands. Ooh, might it be experimental tundra drone?

Nah, it's techno, ol' school and stripped down with machine-jackin' rhythms, floaty synth leads, and deeper than thou basslines. Like, holy cow, are these basslines ever low on the low end! Some of these frequencies are in the technobass domain, though the surrounding production keeps things in the realms of crisp 'n' clean techno. If that crisp 'n' clean techno carried with it those heart-melting melodies Mr. Norris' body of work is known for. Sometimes a little acid action is thrown in (Aux Patch, Auxxx Thatched), other tracks opt for a vibe in other genres' realm (tech-house in Mutual 2, electro in Track 11, Detroit funk in The Far Center, ambient techno in Love Simulation), but the general sonic aesthetic of each track remains mostly consisted throughout Synchronized Minds.

And I can't deny, that does lead this album to sounding a little samey when I play it back. Nothing ever slips in quality, but little leaps out as the highlight track, or the intriguing leftfield cut, or the instant earworm. Which is fine, Synchronized Minds clearly not that kind of album. Does feel like this could have been broken up into separate EPs though, giving each track more space to stand out.

Autumn Of Communion - Reservoir Of Video Souls

Fantasy Enhancing: 2018

It appeared that Lee Norris was shifting his music ventures down different avenues, stepping back from managing ...txt while consolidating his Autumn Of Communion works into a box-set. He followed that up by establishing Fantasy Enhancing, debuting the fresh label with another Autumn Of Communion album. Everything old is new again!

Naturally, I had to get in on that action as soon as it was announced. Who knows how limited and rare these albums might become? Firsts of anything in these post Fax+ ambient techno circles always end up with ridiculous prices on the collector's market, and this particular outing from Lee and Mick looked to be a very spiffy first indeed. Why, they even went the DVD-sized package route for Fantasy Enhancing, making them something akin to a book on your music shelves. Boy, am I ever glad I sprung for it when it first came out. Shame I somehow, inexplicably lost it.

No, really, how does one lose a CD with packaging that big? It's not like there's a lot of space in my apartment for it to wander off to. Did the mice in the walls steal it? A nosy landlord nabbing it as a deposit for all the shelving holes I'm leaving? Will it miraculously appear when I finally move, unearthed from some impossibly deep couch cushion? Mysteries upon mysteries!

Okay, enough belly-moaning about my music collecting tribulations. Is Reservoir Of Video Souls any good? Sure things it is – it's not like Misters Norris and Chillage had taken a long break between this and Metal such that they'd lost their songcraft synergy. If anything, this album feels like something of a return to an older style, a simpler style, a 'not-quite-so-experimental-drone' style. A lot of Autumn Of Communion 4 feels, is what I'm saying, what with those spaced-out melodies and soft rhythms, conjuring long nights spent gazing upon stars slowly circling the heavens above.

Five tracks make up this album, each hovering in that sweet spot of twelve-to-twenty minutes of runtime. Plenty of room for the AoC lads to indulge in some freeform music making before striking upon a lead melody, and not so long that the plot gets lost along the way. Well, except opener Metacognition, so abruptly switching gears midway through, I keep thinking it's an entirely different track, and that Reservoir Of Video Souls is a continuously mixed album. It's the only track on here that does it though, making it an odd-man out.

And speaking of oddities, was I the only one that thought Reservoir Of Video Souls would end up being a DVD release? Something like BT's This Binary Universe, with little movies accompanying the music? It's right there in the title, plus the whole DVD packaging to go along with it. Heck, no lie, I assumed Fantasy Enhancing itself would feature such releases, taking the world of ambient techno into an untapped realm of modern audio-visual media. Alas, t'was not to be. Yet...

Metamatics - Beatsamatic

XTT Recordings: 2014

Yay! I'm finally reviewing a Metamatics album! Only, this isn't really an album. It's certainly an LP length collection of tracks, released under Lee Norris' oldest of aliases. In fact, the tracks included on Beatsamatic are among the oldest under the Metamatics banner, appearing on vinyl way back in the mid-'90s, via UK based label Clear. You might know of that print as one that nurtured acts like Mixmaster Morris, Jedi Knights, and Doctor Rockit for a time. Technically the first Metamatics album too, A Metamatics Production, though somehow I suspect the follow-up on Hydrogen Dukebox, Neo Ouija, was more substantial in the Metamatics narrative.

I bring all this up because Beatsamatic doesn't seem to exist within Lord Discogs' archives, at least this version of it. And believe me, if there's a body of fellas that would make sure such things are uploaded, it's followers of Lee Norris. There is a Beatsamatic there, the aforementioned '96 twelve-inch, and thus far the earliest Metasamatic item listed. And since I have no way of hearing the original, I can only assume these are the same tracks – sharing some of the original names certainly confirms it.

Okay, so Lee dusted off some oldie works for a digital re-issue. Nothing strange with that, except these aren't even really tracks, at least in the typical since. Rather, Beatsamatic is little more than a collection of electro rhythm loops and tools, seventeen in all and most in the one-to-two minute range. A few reach out to the three minute mark, which makes me wonder if these were on the original Beatsamatic release (not all the track names were printed, apparently). So not an album at all, then, but a sample pack for budding producers and crafty DJs to make use of. And I have this because...?

Honestly, this was part of that MP3 giveaway Mr. Norris did a couple years back via mailing list, and knowing nothing about any of his wider discography, downloaded it sight-unheard. I figured everything among those would be like all the other ambient side-projects he'd offered, hence why I have it now. There's honestly no reason for me to review this though. Well, maybe if you stumble upon it yourself in your Bandcamp wanderings, and wonder what it is before getting it. Just as easy to listen to the samples and read the text blurb to find that out yourself though.

As for why I've kept this, I dunno, maybe I thought I might get some PWoG Psychick Rhythms Vol. 1 enjoyment out of it. Tracks needed to be more than 'tool' length for that though, and only a few get that far.

Or maybe... Maybe I just might use these loops for my own aspiring musical concepts. Snag myself that L.S.G. sample pack off Bandcamp too! Then, mix and mash them together, while throwing in some weird, distorted abstractions of Oak Ridge Boys gospel as backing. Stranger things have been unearthed from Soundcloud, I'm sure.

Autumn Of Communion - Autumn Of Communion

Fax +49-69/450464: 2012

I mentioned a few reviews back that I lucked out on a Discoggian source that had a mountain of Fax+ material, and this was what led me to it. Yes, in my never-ending hope that an affordable copy of Autumn Of Communion's debut album would eventually appear there, it finally happened! And not only that, but the seller had more, oh so much more! Was so tempted to crack open an RRSP for a ridiculous splurge, believe you me. What I got will suffice for now though. No need to be greedy with all these limited-run items, is there?

Of course, another reason I'm thankful/dumbfounded for the luck in finding this is that it assuages that lingering FOMO feeling in skipping out on the Autumn Of Communion box-set. I felt it a tad redundant picking that up when I already had some of the albums first-run, but who knew if any of their older works would make it to hard-copy at reasonable prices again, especially this. Not only is it the debut album from this long-lasting partnership between Lee Norris and Mick Chillage, but it's the final item released from Fax +49-69/450464, before Pete Namlook's passing forced the label to shutter doors. You'd think this would make Autumn Of Communion one of the biggest collector's items on the second-hand marketplace. Then again, the Fax+ community never was that big compared to some of the other cult-like followers of famous record labels. And it's not like they're gaining new members anymore. It's all about that Carpe Sonum hit nowadays.

Anyhow, what's most important is that I finally get to hear the germination of this surprisingly durable pairing between Misters Norris and Gainford, one I have to wonder if even they thought would go this long. Like, I'm sure they felt some synergy from whatever situation brought them together (crossing paths at a show? Sharing war stories of former labels? Chance paired seating on a flight across the the Atlantic Ocean?), but even they couldn't have thought they'd be over twenty albums deep from these humble beginnings. Because these are some humble beginnings indeed.

Honestly, this could have gone one of two ways: an immaculate debut that could never have been replicated again, or a feeling-out process, with later works bringing their collaborative ideas to better fruition. Given the amount of music that has emerged under the Autumn Of Communion banner since, it's safe to say we're in the latter territory with this album. Even for Lee and Mick, this is one super mellow CD, with long, gentle passages of subdued synths and repeating melodies. Aside from End (Sunrise For Claudio), there's barely any rhythm, and what does come about is the most minimalist of minute beatcraft.

For sure there are some gorgeous moments on Autumn Of Communion, including the titular track, but I doubt I'd say anything shocking in pointing to the duo's future works as even better than what's offered here. Still, absolutely worth the monies I paid for it!

Autumn Of Communion - Autumn Of Communion 6

...txt: 2015

Well, someone lucked out on not one, but two Autumn Of Communion CDs! My patience continues to prove fortuitous (God, I love that word), and with a little more time and pluck, I just might land myself those other older, rarer AoC albums after all. Have any of them possibly come down in price on the collector's market yet? *checks Discogs* NOPE! It utterly boggles my mind that someone paid nearly CA$400 for Autumn Of Communion 3.5. It's just one track! Sure, in a spiffy metal tin, but still.

While it makes skipping out on the AoC Moonstreams box-set that much more cagey on my part, this highlight another good reason to have done so: I'd otherwise have been forced to write reviews for a lot of AoC albums all in a row, and that would get tedious in a hurry, believe you me. Already I'm struggling to come up with much based on these two albums. Imagine if I had to also cover Autumn Of Communion, Autumn Of Communion 2, Autumn Of Communion 3, Autumn Of Communion 3.5, and Autumn Of Communion 3.9. Not to mention Broken Apart By Sunlight Part 1, Broken Apart By Sunlight Part 2, Broken Apart By Moonlight Part 1, and Broken Apart By Moonlight Part 2. And before you point to Neil Young: Archives as proof I could do it, Mr. Young had a far more dynamic and musically adventurous first decade of music making than Lee Norris and Mick Chillage have had together since 2012. There was more to talk about there, is what I'm saying, whereas I can only reiterate so many times how nice Autumn Of Communion's ambient compositions are before your eyes glaze over. I like this stuff, but boy do I need some space between sessions of it.

AoC 6 does focus Lee and Mick's songcraft some, offering up three digestible chunks of music of comparable length. Why, each piece could have tidily fit on one of those charming mini-CDs, a notion I have to assume they realized with the Broken Apart... series just on the horizon. This would also mark the final numerically self-titled album, going out in stark white style.

Autumn Echo 1 has most of the pleasing synth tones and subtle melodic passages I've come to appreciate in AoC's material, but for some reason doesn't stick with me so well. I don't know why. Autumn Echo 2, however, works a nice gradual build, making good use of its near twenty-four minute long runtime, never feeling like its dilly-dallying in getting to whatever point its trying to get to (a charming ambient techno 'peak', is where). Even the lengthy fade out is somehow engaging, almost making me forget there's a third track after. Autumn Echo 3 is on that sentimental, meditative ambient tip, treading close to New Age territory. I've not much else to say about it.

Now imagine me trying to write similar stuff for a dozen more such reviews. Yeah, not happening with sanity intact.

Autumn Of Communion - Autumn Of Communion 5

...txt: 2015

Over a year ago, Lee Norris announced an Autumn Of Communion CD box-set, Moonstreams, gathering up all the AoC albums up to that point. Cool, as much of their early work is no longer readily available in a physical format, some of which only found for triple-digits in the second-hand Marketplace. Had I not already gotten four of those thirteen releases (!), I would have considered snagging such a collection. Alas, it felt redundant getting double-copies of Polydeuces, Metal, Autumn Of Communion 4, and Broken Apart By Echoes. I resigned myself to holding out hope the remaining nine albums might pop up at a tidier price or, God forbid, succumb to a digital option.

Well, the fates proved fortuitous, as EAR/Rational Music unearthed some unsold AoC albums while clearing out their stock room, and made them available to folks on their mailing list. Hey, that includes me! I'll get on that post-haste and- oh, it's Autumn Of Communion 5, one of the lesser regarded albums of AoC's initial run of albums. I know this because it's actually affordable on the second-hand market, and has never commanded the obscenely high selling prices the previous CDs have. Aside from AoC 4 anyway, though that one likely remains affordable due to still being in print. No one's paying for ludicrous collector's mark-up when one can easily buy an original copy at Carpe Sonum's Bandcamp page (not a shameless plug, I swear!).

Don't get me wrong, I was tickled that I snagged a copy of Autumn Of Communion 5, if for nothing else than proving my foresight in passing on the AoC box-set correct. The music within is fine too, though I can understand why it doesn't get talked up as much as their other works. Three tracks comprise this release, the first of which a whopping thirty-four minutes long. And unless this is somehow your first Autumn Of Communion review you're reading (if so, apologies for a confusing couple of paragraphs), you just know that's thirty-four minutes of spacey, soothing, noodly ambient music. As a thirty-four minute long outing of spacey, soothing, noodly ambient music, it's very nice, and has enough additional elements like spritely synths and shifting passages such that it can keep your attention for most of the duration. If you prefer your ambient music in digestible chunks though, Autumn will likely pass you by.

At a shade under fifteen minutes, Communion is easier to take in, and dare I say a might bit lovelier too. This is more on the meditative tip, with breathing synth pads and relaxing melodic tones that make me want to lazily float down a rural creek surrounded by willow trees. In space! The final track Final Communion is a 're-think' by Stormloop, which has something of an old-school Tangerine Dream vibe going for it. An interesting addition to AoC 5, though doesn't really jive with the rest of the album. Then again, with only two other tracks, how much more is there to jive with?

The Angling Loser - Arena Of Apprehension

...txt: 2016

That's another Lee Norris project ticked off the list. Yet, I'm still barely half-way through 'em all, and who knows if I'll ever find a copy of Orphic Signals' Sounds Of The Neutron, or Tone Language's Patience Is the Key.This one's a little more involved than just another pairing with a producer for a singular jam session though. Nay, The Angling Loser is a conglomerate of musicians Lee happens to know and are all over for a jam. Sir Cliff is here! Porya Hatami is here! Shintaro Aoki is here! Martin Hirsch is here! Wil Bolton is here! Or might be here, depending on the album. Maybe they only all appeared in the first 2013 album, Author Of The Twilight, because I don't see all those names in Arena Of Apprehension's liner notes. Eh, who are all these names? Oh c'mon, I've reviewed a couple of them already. Porya for sure. Uh... Bolton, maybe? No? Hmm.

Anyway, that initial session must have worked out well enough for most of the players involved, as Lee, Porya, Shintaro, and Sir (Gordon Jones) reconvened a few years later for another. Not a huge one, mind you, Arena Of Apprehension running just five tracks long, averaging between eight and ten minutes in length. That's only forty-four minutes total, an astonishingly low number for guys making ambient and modern classical. Surely there were a few extra drone-scapes lurking in their minds. Were they all only available for a single day? Hey, it's possible, the scheduling of artists from various locales conflicting with one another; places to be, gigs to perform, families to care, other jobs needing attention. It was probably a small effort just to get enough of the O.G. Angling Loser posse in for at least one more outing under the project name.

So, of all the myriad Norris ambient projects I've taken in, what differentiates The Angling Loser, beyond the increased performers? At first ear-glance, acoustic guitar, as played by Gordon “Sir Cliff” Jones. Ain't heard no six-stringer strumming on Memex or Moss Garden, that's for sure. Maybe on an Autumn Of Communion album, but I haven't heard all those yet (no box-set of that duo for me, thanks). Along with the usual minimalist ambient pads and textures you hear in almost everything Lee's a part of, there's also piano, field recordings, and crackly treatments giving the music a lived-in, rustic, pastoral vibe.

Which makes sense, given that the whole idea behind The Angling Loser is capturing the mood of solitude out in the wilderness, nothing better to do than lounge by a small river, the futile hope of capturing rainbow trout the extent of your worries. There's even some cheeky instructional dialog towards the end of Rain For The Oblivious pointing out the inherent silliness of it all. Still, given the cover art, I must quibble that the music is almost too summery and tranquil. Ain't no way you'd hear so many chirping birds in the middle of a slushy snowfall.

Abandoned Communities - Abandoned Communities

self release: 2014

Is this Lee Norris' most obscure project? For sure it's his lone release with Pietro Bonanno, but he's done one-offs with others too. Most of them are recent efforts though, but after so much time collaborating with Mick Chillage and Ishq, it had to be a little refreshing branching out from familiar faces, a couple of which he'd make more than one album's worth of material with. It remains to be seen whether those other collaborations will generate more than a single session, but given it's been nearly a half-decade since Lee teamed up again with Pietro for another Abandoned Communities jam, odds are in the newer cats' favour continued music making.

Heck, this particular release likely came about due to circumstances at the given time, such that Misters Norris and Bonanno couldn't replicate them without some proper planning. During his time in Italy, at some point Lee hooked up with Pietro to record music inside a derelict building in Piemonte; hence, Abandoned Communities. So, like, does that mean if they wish to do a follow-up to this self-titled debut, they'd have to find another derelict building to record and perform in? And what if they wanted to take the concept to a live setting, with an audience? Would they have to find a derelict building that is at least up to code with the local municipality that could hold enough folks without it becoming a hazard? Hey, that'd definitely be taking things back to underground rave roots and all, though this doesn't strike me as a duo that would cater to such a crowd. And wouldn't an audience defeat the purpose of music being made in an isolated, uninhabited setting, all that mass of humanity soaking up the natural reverberations off empty halls and naked walls. So many tantalizing possibilities for a collaboration that yielded a total of two (2) tracks.

Before I get into them, I should provide a little info on the second half of Abandoned Communities, Pietro Bonanno. Not much to go on though, according to Lord Discogs. He self-released a handful of piano albums in the early '00s, made a couple drone ambient LPs for Akroasis and Essentia Mundi in the late '00s, released a couple lengthier drone ambient pieces as AON for Treetrunk Records, and went relatively quiet after, save a lone album in 2015.

Along the way, he paired up with Lee Norris, after which they made two lengthy drone ambient tracks. And yeah, there's not much else to say regarding them. Tsapi de Diablhou reaches the half-hour mark, drawing out long pad tones and uneasy moods. 'Shorter' piece Tem Pledd makes use of bird song accompanying its desolate drones, making for an even more unsettling bit of music (especially when the birds disappear!). This is possibly the darkest ambient I've ever heard from Mr. Norris, as though I'm, well, wandering an abandoned dwelling, ghostly whispers lurking in the shadows. Not one for the laying back for sleepy time, this.

Moss Garden - Understanding Holy Ghosts

Kaico: 2013

And... we're back to our regularly scheduled ambient excursion via Lee Norris mailing list Bandcamp giveaway! No, no, don't all go cheering all at once, I know how much y'all yearn for me to endlessly wax the bull about dreamy pads, droning layers of timbre, and fuzzy, crackly field recordings. We all have our lanes, our strong suits, our specialties, and for me, this is apparently it. I did not ask for this responsibility – nay, it was foisted upon me, when my ears perked towards the digital winds that binds everyone's interwebs into that which is the grand tubular info super-highway. And as I carry on checking out these musics that Mr. Norris remains a generous gent over, it seems appropriate that I finally return to the project that first clued me into his music, Moss Garden.

Okay, technically I came into contact with his sonic souffle when I got that fantabulous, instipicuous Pete Namlook tribute box set, where he appeared twice as Ishqmatics and Autumn Of Communion. Had no clue who he was at that point though, indeed the main names luring me in old familiar favourites. Man, when I look back at that box set now, and all the artists I've come to learn of since, it feels like Die Welt Ist Klang's become an ambient advent calendar, where I'm slowly ticking off each artist.

Anyhow, despite that box set being my initial lure, I did peruse Carpe Sonum's catalog for anything else that caught my eye, of which the Moss Garden album In The Silence Of The Subconscious did. That was in fact Moss Garden's second LP, their first coming out a year prior on the Japanese sub-label Kaico (that print's first release, apparently – crazy that it was done by a foreigner group). While not vastly limited in its run, it's was still scant and obscure enough that there's no way I'd get to snag a copy for myself, so yay on Lee Norris for providing it this way to hear now!

And might I say, Understanding Holy Ghosts is a smidge better than In The Silence Of The Subconscious? Obviously any album that opens with a track titled No Prayers For The Mosquito is ace in my books (die, blood suckers, die!), but I feel there's more interesting songcraft in this album. Obviously both make wonderful use of dreamy, dubby pad work and droning timbres, though the second album rather blended together throughout. However, each composition in Understanding Holy Ghosts has a unique element standing out from its brethren. Overlooking Oceans has a soft rhythmic clatter as though you're traversing a railroad or bumpy road bridge. Ritual Solitaire and Structures Of Patience features lethargic, dubby metallic percussion, the latter time-stretched into a sonic haze as gentle choir and string pads blanket you. As for that melody in The Fabric Of Sentinal... dear God, my heart turns to melted butter on a fluffy waffle topped with cinnamon icing sugar. Bliss, is what.

Nacht Plank - Third Sacraments Council

self release: 2013

I've taken in a few Lee Norris projects now, though I haven't returned to his Nacht Plank one too often. In fact, aside from my earliest dabblings into his works which included Alien and the Moss Garden album In The Silence Of The Subconscious, I've barely touched upon his second-to-third most prolific alias. Gosh, looking back on my coverage of Norris' music, the first five were via Carpe Sonum Records releases – I didn't really begin branching out from that label until Lee started offering his older material as free Bandcamp downloads. Makes sense though, as much of his older material was of such limited manufacturing runs that most of it's been long out of print, save the occasional reissue or box-set gathering. I did nab up a couple other CDs from ...txt while they were still available, including one of those Nacht pairings with Ishq, but yeah, seems the only way I'll get to continue exploring Mr. Norris' older music is whenever he offers up these downloads. Or, I dunno', find streaming alternatives (but... physical!).

This particular album though – indeed, this particular series, if the 'third' in the title wasn't a clue – I couldn't have bought a CD if I wanted to. During that whole Italian Works period, Lee performed at the Basilica Don Juan temple in Piemonte - two nights and two recordings - from which Second and Third Sacraments Council come from. Though he has a dedicated fanbase, it isn't substantial by any stretch, folks looking to buy hour-long live drone compositions from Mr. Norris few and far between. But hey, post that stuff on Bandcamp, and make whatever cream comes your way from it, right? He also included them on the Sacraments Council thumb-drive, so you could technically have a physical copy of it, though just how 'physical' USB releases really are is a debate I've already had (jury's still out).

Oh, yeah, that's what Third Sacraments Council is, an hour-long live drone composition, and friends, does this one ever drone. It's the good kind of drone, mind you, if you're looking for minimalist ambience for calming meditative moments. For the first five minutes, we're dealing with little more than atonal pad work with some crackly treatments that almost sound like some loose wiring in Lee's gear (Nacht Plank is primarily his outlet for music created with analog equipment). A gentle, breathing two-tone melody emerges, acting as the steady rudder for the duration of the piece, with additional effects building overtop this minimalist melody, though never straying from the path its laid out. At various points additional sounds like mechanical bird or whale calls punctuate the mood, but that's about as dynamic as things get.

Despite a little flaking in its duration, Third Sacraments Council surprisingly held my attention throughout. Even more surprising was a co-worker noticing it too, commenting how relaxing it is. My co-workers never comment on the ambient music I play! Can't get a better recommendation than that, my friends.

Autumn Of Communion - Polydeuces

...txt: 2016

Oh ho, another album I got a digital version of due to over-inflated out-of-print CD scarcity? Nah, fam', I actually did take the Discogs Marketplace route with this one, the alluring cover art of Saturn constantly drawing me to its page for a lovingly glance, all the while scoping for a chance 'discount' opportunity. And lo', one did emerge, for a 'reasonable' €25 - still a tad over what I would normally pay for a CD, but about as good as I figured I'd ever get on the used market. Besides, the seller was Mick Chillage himself, and seeing as how he likely never saw a single penny for those records I bought from Psychonavigation Records, I guess it's fair he receives a little extra financial compensation on this one.

So, Polydeuces, the first album Autumn Of Communion (Chillage and Lee Norris, in case you're just tuning in) released after all their prior albums had been numerical self-titled outings. It also marked the start of the duo's more freeform approach to songcraft, going in with little preconceived notion of what music they'd make, what sounds they'd build, what gear they'd utilize. They'd go full-tilt with the concept in the following Broken Apart... series, but here it sounds as though they're still in a feeling-out process, figuring out just how in-sync their musical synergy truly was when they're simply letting things flow as they go. Mind, I still only have Autumn Of Communion 4 as a base of comparison with their older material, their other albums just as out-of-print as this one. Except for that massive box-set they released, which I skipped on because, eh, I already have four of their albums now. Seemed redundant to get them again, y'know, especially having just sprung for this one on the Discogs Marketplace. Hmm, the timing on that, now that I think about it...

Anyhow, five main tracks are contained within Polydeuces, most hovering in the ten-to-thirteen minute mark, with a tiny three-minute stinger at the end. With titles like Oort Cloud and Cassini Spacecraft (squeee!), you bet we're on some space-age vibes here. Um, there's also tracks called Tectonics and Sikhote-Alin Mountains, about as earthly of concepts as you can get. And finally, a pair of tracks called Cathode Memory and Kolbe Reaction, which brings things down to the microscopic realms. Is it any surprise these tracks are conceptually arranged from 'bigness' to 'smallness'?

Naturally, we're mostly in ambient's domain here. Some tracks come off like long-lost compositions for a Hearts Of Space planetarium score, others edging closer to the realms of ambient techno, often within the same track. For a supposed freeform approach to creating these pieces, each track never feels like it's just randomly dawdling about, and Tectonics even offers a bit of an ear-wormy hook, in that understated ambient techno sort of way. I doubt Polydeuces will convert anyone to Autumn Of Communion's charms, but at seven albums deep, Mick and Lee deserved a little creative indulgence.

Porya Hatami And Lee Anthony Norris - Every Day Feels Like A New Drug

Unknown Tone Records/...txt: 2013/2014

Another in Lee Norris' semi-regular series of 'Albums I Made A Number Of Years Ago, And Are Giving Away As Limited Free Bandcamp Downloads To Fans Following My Music, Because You Guys Rock'. It's a nice series, though I can't imagine it being terribly profitable. Then again, given the limited runs of the original CDs, it's not like there's much money left on the table now. Unless you're one of those shysters in the second-hand market, selling music at over-inflated prices because you know there's enough easy marks with collector's cash to make that investment worth the while. How nice of Mr. Norris to bypass all that for his fans who just wanted to hear the music on a streaming service. Still, I do wonder what Porya Hatami's say in all this is? Like, I can only assume he's fine about it, but what if he was hoping to squeeze a couple extra dimes out of a purchasable Bandcamp download from this album? The margin of profit in the ambient scene isn't terribly high to begin with – gotta' get all you can get while the getting's good, amirite?

Every Day Feels Like A New Drug was Misters Norris and Hatami's first pairing, initially coming out on Unknown Tone Records. Yes, it's Yet Another Ambient Label, though I don't recognize it, nor many names there. *sigh* And of course, they have some tasty-looking items too, much to the chagrin of my bank account. At least they're based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, so shipping shouldn't be that expensive. I hope...

So obviously this album sold out, but given the buzz generated by their other collaboration, The Longing Daylight on Carpe Sonum Records, Every Day Feels Like a New Drug saw a re-issue on Lee's own ...txt print. That CD's likely all sold out now too, hence the limited digital giveaway on Norris' part. Or maybe not, the Hatami-Norris brand of ambient perhaps just a tad too deep on the Mellow Spectrum for all casual costumers of their music to consume. I mean, I sure wasn't in a hurry to hear more of it, only jumping on this album because Norris offered it up for free. I like their stuff, but it didn't exactly leap out from the glut of ambient works I've buried myself in either. Short album lengths don't help either.

Comparing the two albums, I find The Longing Daylight has a little more personality going for it, in that the unique approaches to ambient Norris and Hatami offer come through clearer. Here, I get the sense neither artist really wanted to outshine or subvert the other, so it all mushes together into a similar tone throughout. Soft pads, dusty background textures, glitchy reverb washes, gentle pianos, and bubbling field recordings. And The Birds Flew In A Different Direction sparks my Adham Shaikh memory membranes, but nothing else grabs my attention the way their other works have. Ambient music in its truest form, I guess.

Ishqamatics - Earthbound

Anodize: 2013

Lee Norris keeps giving his music away! Okay, it's as a 'thank-you' to those who were on the ...txt mailing list, as he's relinquishing control of that label to move onto other interests. As for what he's given up for grabs, some of it's been ...txt material, while others were handled by other prints, though as these remain his own works, I guess he has every right to do what he wants with it. A fair bit's been Nacht Plank albums, which I can't say I'm super-keen in nabbing every time – there's only so much ultra-dorky electronic experimental music I'm willing to take.

Not with Ishqamatics though. When Mr. Norris made Earthbound available, I eagerly snatched it up. Yeah, I had lukewarm feelings about Spacebound, but there were enough ideas floating about his and Ishq's creative ether that their other collaborations at least still intrigued me. Of course, the first album he made with Ishq (Spacebound came out a few months after) is well out of print now, so I didn't think I'd get around to hearing it anytime soon. Guess ol' Lee had other ideas for us procrastinating fans.

And boy howdy, am I ever tempted to check out their third record, Waterbound, after hearing this one. This is what I was expecting from these two pairing up, mostly on the rhythmic department. Yes, once again, an album with 'Earth' as a concept isn't afraid to dig its feet into the dirt. We're not talking about anything seriously funky or ass-wigglin' here, of course, but even the soft, dubby pitter-patter of minimalist ambient techno is more body movin' than the pure pad drone of Spacebound, such that I find myself more engaged with Lee and Matt's lengthy excursions. Yeah, even seventeen-plus minutes of opener Sky Hi. It's just so floaty and breathless, like hovering about cirrus clouds, snug in a thermal suit, the stars above tantalizing and teasing out an expedition if not for this accursed gravity well terra firma generates. Oh well, time to fall back to the soil from which we sprung (there's a long ambient outro, naturally).

I think what I prefer most about Earthbound is the fact it's only five tracks long, mostly averaging between ten to fourteen minutes in length. Much as I rib about 'noodly songcraft', truth of the matter is Lee and Ishq have a style that kinda' needs those extra half-dozen minutes to fully germinate in my brain matter, and Spacebound didn't give that opportunity much. It's the only explanation I can think of for how melodic ideas in Ringstone Round here stick with me better than they did in Through The Ringstone there. Same story with Piano Cruxia here, versus Piano Cruxia Subspace there. The extra ambient techno beats don't hurt either. Elsewhere, Angels On The Stairway still provides a mostly ambient outing (Ishq gotta' Ishq), while the titular closer takes us back out to the cosmos in fine fashion. Wait, shouldn't this then be called Spacebound?

Plank & Ishq - Zeal Monachorum

...txt: 2017

Not content to pair up with Ishq with one alias, Lee Norris dragged his Nacht Plank pseudonym in for a little collaborative work too. That may seem either redundant or overkill, but the Ishqamatics stuff, that had a very specific sound, a 'bound' sound, if you will. Misters Norris and Hillier though, they have other musical explorations in mind, stuff that isn't so tied to that project's ambient techno leanings. They have all this vintage analogue gear at their disposal, see, equipment they can jam away for hours on end in freeform music making as the OG krautrockers like Tangerine Dream and Cluster did. And Lee, he already had a project name for such craftsmanship, that being Nacht Plank. Ishq though, he's still just same ol' Ishq.

Thus a number of albums resulted in their sessions. First were three volumes titled Crows An Wra, featuring tracks averaging between ten and twenty minutes in length, one even breaking the half-hour mark. I haven't listened to any of them, because even that seems a bit much sonic noodling and musical doodling than I'm usually willing to take in from these two. But hey, if you're a huge fan of either Nacht Plank or Ishq, have at 'em.

Me, I'll take a sampling for now, in this follow-up album of Zeal Monachorum. It features four tracks, the opener lasting over twenty-four minutes long, the rest hovering around the sixteen minute mark. It honestly doesn't come across that way though, more like a disconnected assemblage of experimental sounds, bleepy passages, oscillating synths, and all manner of eggheaded ideas coming and going. If they'd broken everything up into individual tracks, however, you'd be looking at around a dozen pieces of conceptual art-music, some of which you might skip if given the option. Plank & Ishq ain't having any of your picky-nicky notions of music consumption though. You're gonna' take all their meandering audible activities, from the broken snippets of dialog, to the chirping electronics, to the soothing pad drone, to the languid bell tones, to the wobbly Moog – and that's all just in Church Of The Cross Modulation! Okay, not the dialog bits, those are in other tracks.

I suppose there are loose themes tying each track together. Zeal Monachorum Moonships mostly has sci-fi modulating sounds, every so often broken up by dubby, flowy synth-pad passages – it's like Plank and Ishq are taking turns with the assorted gear. Oxenham Space Locator maintains the Berlin-School modulating fun for much of its duration, save a bleep-ambient coda towards the end. Devonschire Oscillations treads closest to something like ambient techno, though the added guitar-synth tones keeping things on that '70s vibe.

Zeal Monachorum does have nifty portions throughout, but like the krautrock Plank & Ishq are drawing influence from, demands your undivided attention to get much out of it. Fortunately, you'll get plenty opportunities to do so, as the two have launched a new label exclusively exploring such music, called Zeit. That word sounds familiar, somehow.

Ishqamatics - Spacebound

...txt: 2013

Finally focusing on two projects for the first time, for the price of one! ...kind of. Lee Norris, I've obviously talked up plenty now, but haven't gotten into the alias that started it all for him: Metamatics. Maybe I will at some point – it's not like he's put it into mothballs – but dude's got so much music out there, I gotta' prioritize a little. As I've only 'discovered' Mr. Norris a couple years ago, of course his recent projects get my attention first. As for Ishq, I've heard a track or two over the years, have seen the name dropped in many familiar labels and compilations. The main guy behind the project, Matt Hillier, was something of a journeyman in the early '90s before breaking out with Ishq, and has had a rather productive career ever since.

So, Ishqamatics, yet another Norris pairing from that fruitful year of 2013, when he was hooking up with nearly everyone for some collaborative work if they released music on his ...txt print. That included Ishq, so naturally Lee looked over in Matt's direction and said, “That's a mighty fine sound you have there – wanna' connect?” So they did, even contributing a track to the indispensable Pete Namlook tribute set Die Welt Ist Klang (it always comes back to that, doesn't it). By the end of 2013, two albums resulted from the Ishqamatics sessions, one for the label Anodize (Earthbound), and another for ...txt, Spacebound. The latter sold out quickly, because of course it did, but demand was so high that another run of copies was manufactured. Hurrah, I could get me a copy as well! I mean, I ought to check it out, what with it being the default music on the ...txt homepage and all. Must be Very Important Music for such an honour.

Well, it's space ambient, that much is sure, which is something of a surprise where Ishq is concerned, having built a rep' for Earthly zen music and all. Hillier's tones do come through often, contrasting quite nicely with Norris' more frigid electronics. Sometimes the Ishq stylee dominates, as in the lengthy Bound To Earth featuring sitar drones for much of its duration (whoa, getting Shaikh flashbacks). Lots of noodly, droney, spacey ambient follows that track, field recordings coming and going before being sent back out into the cosmos. Sometimes there's glitched-up radio chatter, and a little jazz ditty plays from an overhead speaker in Round The Ringstone, but if I'm honest, there's little to detail, droning synth tones and minute melodies the name of the game here.

Spacebound is alluring, engaging, and flowing as an album, always leaving me like I'm drifting out in space while remaining tethered to terra firma. At the same time though, not much really leaped out at me either. It's an odd one, where everything I hear is exactly what I like to hear, but imprinting little upon my brain afterwards. Maybe there's something to be said for the unexpected.