Kutiman

Don't Hold Onto The Clouds is the fourth release on Kutiman's own record label Siyal following Space Cassava (2015), the White Monkey 7" (SYL 003EP, 2017), and 6AM (SYL 002CD/LP, 2016). In the era of the brand, Kutiman is an anomaly. A musician who's a video artist, a producer, an animator, and also the unwilling star of one of Israel's most successful recent documentaries, every one of his records contrasts with whatever it was that came before. But that's fundamental to his appeal: no one, not even him, really knows what to expect next. Unsurprisingly, therefore, Don't Hold On To The Clouds is no different, which means it's like nothing he's ever done. Most artists would acknowledge this by working under pseudonyms, but Kutiman is -- yes, you've guessed it -- different again. Kutiman's Don't Hold On To The Clouds is comprised of just four tracks -- the shortest of which, "Lucid Dream", still clocks in at almost eight minutes; it orbits within reach of, among other styles, ambient, electronica, minimal, and new age, but refuses to settle on merely one. The A side features the airy "Behind The Noise" and "Unknown", reeling the listener into a deep and meditation. Flip it over to the B side and you'll find "Mineral" and "Lucid Dream" inducing an ethereal state. This new record is unusual to Kutiman's typical style, revealing his love for the sounds of Terry Reilly, Moondog, Alice Coltrane, and William Basinski. Recorded live by Kutiman over the course of a year, the album also draws upon his growing love for Indian music, and, alongside extensive use of a Juno 6, features his first, unorthodox use of a tabla which he received from his mother. Don't Hold On To The Clouds is meditative and enigmatic, like nothing he's done before. "I hope it will offer peace," he smiles, adding hurriedly, "not in a big global way, but just as a break from reality. If anyone feels like head banging, I'll be happy as well, but it actually helps me fall asleep. I can't say that about any other record I've made." Comes in a full-color jacket with original artwork by Kutiman. Standard LP version comes in an edition of 500.