Mark Templeton - Ballads EP

Mark Templeton
Ballads
(2010, self released)
RIYL = Tim Hecker, The Field, Belong

I’m not much for EPs. Maybe you’ve noticed, all one bajillion of you who have sent me your debut EPs without a response. Forgive me, really. I don’t know what stops me from being able to commit myself to downloading and listening to something of that length. It should be easier right? (Don’t give up, send me your full lengths.) Yet, I do take exception for some. Enter Mark Templeton’s Ballads. While I genuinely loved his collaboration with aA. Munson on Acre Loss, I think I forced myself to enjoy his sophomore album, Inland. It wasn’t bad by any means, but not near as good as Standing On A Hummingbird either. It almost kept me from immersing myself in his latest EP. However, Ballads marks a return to his previously achieved, outstanding form. The concept for Ballads is a brief, but rich suite of tracks derived from the one-and-only Lionel Richie. The opening track, “February 23rd,” is quick to find the Richie’s single, “Hello,” bleeding through the guitars and static. It’s a plunderphonic dream that you never knew you had and now, in its earshot, can’t help but slip away into again and again. The closer, "Drowning in Memories," thickens things up a bit and provides ample evidence of the man's expertise in sound collage. Looks like Mr. Templeton is back on top and Ballads definitely has me interested in what’s coming next from the textured Canadian soundsmith.

-Thistle

Mark Templeton - "Fabruary 23rd"
Mark Templeton's website

Mark Templeton - Inland

Mark Templeton
Inland
(05.2009, Anticipate)
RIYL = Geoff Mullen, Fennesz, Pandatone

It was only two years ago when Mark Templeton dropped the flagship release for Ezekiel Honig’s Anticipate label and, despite the insanely high grade of releases that have been released on Anticipate since, that release – Standing On A Hummingbird – has remained, for me, the very best. That is until now. Sometimes I wish I could just explode nonsense onto Forest Gospel for miles on end just to display the uselessness of conveying praise and adoration for a specific album with words. Trying to type out my excitement just becomes nonsense anyways. Run on sentences, fragments, spelling and grammar errors, repetitive, seemingly hyperbolic claims – it just feels flat in place of the music. And it is, but oh well. Here is to nonsense: Inland is a radiculously mesmerizing experience of intertwining guitar strings, violin patches and heaps of butchered, glitchy electronics. Templeton has upped his game considerably and Inland marks his second incredible release this year (the first being his gorgeous collaboration with Aaron Munson on Acre Loss). One of the major differences between Inland and Standing On A Hummingbird is Inland’s density. For some reason, things just feel thicker, like Templeton has added more to the mix. Also, (and I’ll have to go back to verify this) on Inland, Templeton has added some nonverbal vocals to the audio threading. So, in the end, what we have here is distinctly Templeton, just much more focused, more layered and simply heavier in its construct. Heavier might come off as the wrong word. We aren’t dealing with any doom metal riffs here. Its just the feathery tones that persist in this release have been tied to some stones. Regardless of its weight, Templeton, as can be seen in all of his work, is the master creating a beautifully cohesive mess. For those who have been waiting for this release as long as I have, Templeton does not disappoint. Essential listening for 2009.

-Thistle

Stream of Inland

Mark Templeton + aA. Munson - Acre Loss

Mark Templeton + aA. Munson
Acre Loss
(01.2009, Anticipate)
RIYL = Geoff Mullen, Colleen, Chihei Hatakeyama

It feels kinda cheap to be reviewing solely the musical side of Acre Loss, a truly collaborative effort between Mark Templeton and aA. Munson. The project was conceived as an artistic melding of visual and audio mediums to be produced as a DVD which is supplemented with a CD of the musical tracks. As such, it only make sense that this thing is coming from Anticipate, who has already spearheaded similar projects seeking to further the marriage between the what we see and what we hear. Templeton is the audio artist here, following up his stunning debut for Anticipate, Standing On A Hummingbird, but Munson probably deserve equal credit for the music (as Templeton does for the visuals) so you’ll have to simply remember that when I reference Templeton, I reference both. Still, standing alone, the musical score for Acre Loss is transcendently gorgeous and obviously cinematic in its scope and grandeur. Unfortunately, lots of music that is currently being made can be described in those terms. The unfortunate part isn’t that there is lots of great music that is utterly beautiful and warm, glacial and imaginative, but that somehow detracts from the fact that Acre Loss is much more than that. Templeton’s work is characterized by luxurious electro-acoustic melodies textured with various electronics and found sounds along the way. It is pretty common place in terms of ambient and drone based records, but Templeton must be just that much more charming than his contemporaries because he is somehow able to coax out platinum and diamonds when everyone else is only able to get gold and crystals. And yeah, gold and crystals are great, but, sheesh, it is nothing compared to what Templeton’s got here with Acre Loss. You know what? Trying to describe just why Templeton’s tones are so good reminds me of trying to describe The Fun Years album from last year. It is just that ‘it’ factor popping up again. Something involving the purity of love with which Acre Loss has been constructed harkens all of the very best in sound sculpture. Templeton may be fairly new in terms of his output, but he is certainly plugging away with the very top tier of what is coming out right now, and what has come out in the last ten years for that matter. Absolutely essential in every respect and from the looks of what I have seen from Munson’s visual work, Acre Loss is sure to be an unparalleled achievement in terms of cross-media collaboration.

-Lil' Thistle

Mark Templeton - Standing on a Hummingbird

Mark Templeton
Standing on a Hummingbird
(02.2007, Anticipate)
9.0/10.0

Mark Templeton isn't mining particularly new territory with his debut release, Standing on a Hummingbird. Fitting somewhere snuggly in-between Keith Fullerton Whitman's almost good natured blips and bleeps and Christian Fennesz's engendered static grind, Templeton's predecessors have left some large shoes to fill (exceptionally large when you consider that the previously mentioned two are pretty much still wearing these proverbial shoes by their consistent and continual output). In fact, the industry of electro-acoustic instrumentals is already, pretty much, overflowing with imposters as well as second and third generation successors of the form. Templeton introduces naked acoustic instrumentation and glitch electronics that have already been well explored by Geoff Mullen and Chihei Hatakeyama. All this might sound disconcerting and hopefully, as readers, you have made it this far because despite Standing on a Hummingbird’s inherent similarities, Templeton has injected that invisible "it" factor that makes this a refreshing and soaring success. It is this indescribable "it" that is the separator of bland imitators and the meticulous sound artists. The genre of electro-acoustics – similar to a lot of "experimental" music sub genres - has become bloated because of its simple surface replication. However, it takes sincere depth of production to create a masterwork; something that will become a timeless and repeated listen for its audience. Mark Templeton has created this impact. Standing on a Hummingbird is an exciting release and the first for the newly created Anticipate label. I couldn’t imagine a better way to start. Keep an eye on Anticipate because, as they have shown here and on their subsequent releases, this label is out to quietly release some of the best electronically treated music imaginable. Standing on a Hummingbird is their first and their watermark; a subtle patch of downtrodden beauty that must be heard.

-Mr. Thistle

Mark Templeton - "Goodbye to You"