Zach Rowden presents Cyclical Tombeau on Second Sleep, a haunting exploration of repetitive structures and drone that transforms the double bass into an otherworldly sound-making device. Through prepared techniques and extended bowing, Rowden creates circular funeral dirges that blur the boundaries between acoustic instrument and spectral presence. Connecticut-based Rowden has established himself as one of the most innovative voices in experimental bass music, known for his work with Tongue Depressor, the Hyperion Ensemble, and collaborations with Paul Flaherty and Charmaine Lee. On Cyclical Tombeau, he ventures deep into meditative territory, crafting what feels like a soundtrack to ancient burial rites filtered through contemporary sonic exploration.

The tape captures Rowden's mastery of transforming his upright bass into something altogether more mysterious. Using preparations of cowbells, wooden dowels, and contact microphones, he generates long-form compositions that cycle through variations on death and rebirth themes. These pieces unfold like slow-motion ceremonies, where each bow stroke becomes a prayer and every harmonic a ghost escaping from the instrument's wooden body.

Recorded in isolation during extended solo sessions, Cyclical Tombeau represents Rowden's most introspective work to date. The music functions less as entertainment than as ritual, inviting deep listening states where time becomes elastic, and the listener enters communion with something beyond the physical realm. Each track builds upon cyclical motifs that return transformed, like memories of the departed that visit in altered forms.