Keith Berry: Viable Systems 6
VSM Theory

Keith Berry's Viable Systems series is as reliable as the changing seasons. Each year a new volume from the UK-based sound artist materializes to add another set of superbly crafted ambient-electronic tracks to the total. Yet while the sixth arrives right on schedule, it also changes things up dramatically: for this go-round, Berry's shifted from soothing pocket-sized soundscapes to lounge-styled exotica that conjures images of sun-soaked Caribbean beaches and O'ahu resorts. As before, Berry produced the material using generative means, but his skills as a sound designer are so adroit you'd never know it from listening to it. That's especially so when the music's gleaming surfaces are so attractive one's attention is wholly engaged by them. There's nothing coy about the track titles either when ones such as “Hawaiian Postcard” and “Tropical Modernism” engender immediate associations.

The change isn't immediately apparent when “Catalan Opening” unfurls in a gently sparkling wave that could conceivably have graced any of the earlier sets. The introdtcory drum roll, quasi-funky groove, whispered flutes, and percussion of “Tropical Modernism,” on the other hand, indicate something different's going on; as if further confirmation's needed, “Terra Incognita” blends guitar twang, congas, and vibes into a slow-burning swoonfest, and a saxophone purrs through the sleepy dark ambient of “Promissed Lands” [sic]. While some tracks are tranquil (see “Towards a Dream” and “Palm-Tree Garden”) and others ominous, all fifteen exemplify the polish of their creator's assured hand. Eno's sometimes cited as a reference when Berry's music is discussed, and it's easy to understand when evocations such as “Hawaiian Postcard,” “Low-Lying Lands,” and “Lightsails” could pass for lost tracks from 1978's Music for Films.

December 2023