"Dwell Time II, the second installment in a trilogy of tape loop experiments from T.R. Jordan, begins fittingly with “Dynamics”, as a grainy, fluttering howl opens into voluminous spatial tones, while dulcet synthesizers swell between the stereo channels with melancholy, crystalline sweetness. Guiding his delicate world of sound through various technical and tactile manipulations, Jordan unearths sounds and textures that are otherwise not found in a natural state. Part of the fascination in working with physical formats is the ability to alter and interrupt – in this case, wrapping the plastic film of the cassette in foil, or bending and distending it with a fingertip, creating what the artist proudly calls “gorgeous imperfection”.
Suffused with soft warbles and fragile, insect-like clicks, “Swapped” trains a macro lens on the inner workings of loam and undergrowth, evoking a verdant air of renewal that always emerges from the chrysalis of natural cycles. Following close behind, “Allusion” carries the calm pace of a slowed clock, counting out moments of aching anticipation in melodic, meditative counterpoint. Jordan’s fascination with mutability is evident in every second of this suite – even the most seemingly reliable loop is subject to the whims of a weakened battery, repositioning of the tape deck, or tempered malfunction. “Nested” offers a particularly deconstructed view, combining the spatial patience of Hiroshi Yoshimura and the connective tissue of early Eno experiments in its glassy tremolos and mysterious corners.
“Proxy” forefronts the stop-stutter of physical looping with antiquated machinery, and the hand-hewn effect of trying to control something as it tries to escape into the air, like flowing bands of the aurora borealis. “Repetition is a form of change”, the saying goes, and as each renewal of the loop asserts its own idiosyncrasies, we find the pulse of contingency. As a continuation of the first Dwell Time album (Past Inside the Present, 2022), Jordan’s intention is a cohesive suite in three movements, all with the same materials and methods, in a concentrated period of inspired experimentation with no energy wasted – a form of “musical composting”, in his words. Citing the particular malleability of the Library of Congress’ C1 cassette deck, and the “halfway broken beauty” of the Roland RE-201 tape delay, he brings together disparate sources into captivating sonic approximations of flowing creeks, mossy rocks, and drifting clouds in equal measure.
The album’s final two pieces, “Murmur” and “Tampered”, bear this out with notable grace, as a sense of perennial permanence leads into waves of seafoam hiss, rounding out the set in a peaceful surrender to the cosmos. Brought into its final form with production by Rafael Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, mastering by Stephan Mathieu at Schwebung, artwork by Cynthia Bernard, and endless support from label head zakè, Dwell Time II is a remarkable ode to the infinite, viewed through the lens of the momentary."
