Michael Diamond – Placid Wakefulness EP

Label: Vasuki Sound – Vasuki 002
Format: Vinyl, 12"
Country: UK
Released: Dec 5, 2024
Genre: Electronic, Jazz
Style: Techno, Ambient, Future Jazz

Michael Diamond's latest EP, "Placid Wakefulness," is an explorative journey through the liminal spaces between consciousness and slumber. Building on his acclaimed ambient-jazz album "Third Culture," Diamond continues to challenge genre boundaries, seamlessly blending atmospheric ambient, experimental sound designs with jazz and synths.

Whilst completing his Medicine degree at Oxford, Diamond's academic collaborations with Professor Eric Clarke on wakefulness and embodied rhythms have left an indelible mark on his productions, introducing increasingly edgy syncopations coalesced into sonic electronic ballads.

The EP opens with "A Way of Listening.” This track reads like a hypnotic lullaby where it employs pillowy textures and drifting percussions, creating a sense of distance and room for expansive and spacious atmospheric instrumentation. The track is named after Professor Eric Clarke's book, which examines the relationships between listening and musical material. Diamond's unorthodox treatment of the cello, coupled with ethereal flute melodies, exemplifies his ability to transmute conventional instrumentation into something entirely novel. This alchemical process is at the heart of Diamond's artistry. These instruments float over a subdued kick drum, while aquatic samples transport the listener.

Diamond metamorphoses live recordings of cello, flute, and saxophone into otherworldly textures that defy their organic origins. Through meticulous sound design and experimental processing, he propels these instruments beyond recognition, weaving a tapestry of sound that transcends their traditional timbres.

The result is a heightened emotional landscape where familiar melodies and harmonies are refracted through a prism of production magic. This approach not only enhances the inherent expressiveness of the instruments but also forges new pathways of musical communication. Diamond's masterful blend of acoustic sources solidifies his self-described "jazzed electronic sounds," where the warmth of live instrumentation meets the limitless possibilities of electronic production.

"Reverse Entropy" showcases Diamond's artistic evolution. Warbling synths and lurking melodies bubble up through layers of distortion, climaxing in an intense, filtered saxophone solo that intertwines with drums ramping up. The track's structure, oscillating from softness to power and back, allows listeners to ride the parabolic waveforms Diamond crafts.

The penultimate track, "Turning and Turning," is a cyborg embodiment of tension. Layered synths with reverb create dense textures and sonic sculptures from the outset. Waves of sound accentuate plucky, echoed synths, fluctuating between moments of unease and release. There is tension that ebbs and flows from background to foreground, creating a discombobulating yet immersive sound journey. These nuances highlight the profoundness in Diamond's sound-design skills.

The EP concludes with its title track, "Placid Wakefulness," introducing a rhythmic element subtly absent from previous tracks. Diamond's classical guitar training shines through, almost reminiscent of R&B. Incredibly subtle aquatic elements return, bringing the EP full circle and encapsulating the themes explored throughout - the delicate equilibrium between electronic and dance music, calm and wakefulness.

The EP masterfully balances moments of melancholy with glimpses of hope, unsettling the listener's expectations while simultaneously fulfilling them in unexpected ways. Throughout "Placid Wakefulness," Diamond proves electronic music's capacity for emotional contagion.

Review by Nida Jafri

A1. A Way of Listening
A2. Reverse Entropy
B1. Turning And Turning
B2. Placid Wakefulness