Oblivion Seekers

Description

Being attuned to the world as it is means being immersed in language. Words resonate in almost every space where human beings are present, whether desired or not, trivial or profound. Words accumulate on the page and echo in the ear, proliferating infinitely. This abundance has long fascinated composer and musician Ben Vida, but in recent years, it has given rise to a new method of musical creation that simultaneously exalts and questions the primacy of language in our sonic and cultural environments. With gentleness and mischief, Vida deconstructs the hierarchy of meaning and sound in language until they coexist in an egalitarian harmony. Oblivion Seekers is Vida's latest album in this mode of composition, following his 2023 collaboration with the contemporary music ensemble Yarn/Wire, The Beat My Head Hit. Like its predecessor, this album emphasizes coordinated spoken duos, delivered in a neutral tone. The variable cadences of moving words create complex internal rhythmic structures. He is joined by the voices of Nina Dante, Christina Vantzou, John Also Bennett, and Félicia Atkinson, creating a unique sound that is neither theirs nor his, fluid in its expression of genre, accent, and diction. The instrumental compositions that form the backdrop of the album have the natural flow of a dialogue, conversational yet discreet, rarely driving change. Here too, Vida has enlisted a group of accomplished musicians to accompany him: Dante on harp, Bennett on bass flute, Matt Bauder and Will Epstein on saxophones, Henry Fraser on bass, Cleek Schrey on violin, and Booker Stardrum on percussion. These elements form lattice structures through which the text weaves, often leaning on the strong beats, but moving freely within each melodic phrase. A serene atmosphere emerges, reinforced by the restrained rhythm of the voices, giving the impression of music unfolding like a long mantra without ever truly returning to its starting point. The effect is enchanting and captivating, suggesting repetition without ever repeating itself exactly. The instrumentation varies across the four tracks of the album; "Be Yr Own Abyss" is defined by the undulating counterpoint of the saxophones, while the ambiguous chime of the vibraphone hovers over "Oblivion Seekers," and Fraser's powerful bass offers the album's only dramatic entrance. The music metamorphoses in the ear, with the text constantly redefining and recontextualizing the form and movement of the composition, all while maintaining an aura of supernatural beauty. The text often draws from snippets of phrases that Vida has encountered throughout his life, woven into his compositions: whispers heard in the supermarket line, striking sentences from a novel he was reading, impressions from the m...