James Johnson continues his "Journeys" series with the newest double-disc installment, Minimum. On the earlier volume, Odyssey, Johnson presented us with a long-form drift piece that acts as a kind of musical travelogue through the Homeric world.

On Minimum, Johnson has deserted the linear movement of Odyssey in favor of two separate, though thematically related, infinite playback sound environments. While "journey" was an appropriate umbrella concept for the music on Ody ssey, the journey inherent in Minimum's over 135 minutes is a more subtle affair.

On the first disc, we have Johnson's sublime take on the classic Eno concept explored on Thursday Afternoon. This is to say that one could take a small section of Minimum and have a very good idea of the overall sound of the entire composition. The recurring sounds and patterns then appear seemingly at random until they build to a tapestry of sound, built over sixty minutes. In this type of lis tening experience, these recurring parts become familiar to the listener, while there is always a delicate undercurrent of constant change.

In this way, it may be said that in some metaphoric way, the first disc of Minimum imitates an individual's lifespan. Certain recurring themes abound (perhaps emotions or habits in a person's life), but always with a remarkable amount of change underneath it all. It is here that it becomes apparent just what the journey of Minimum has to offer the l istener. Constant renewal through alternating patterns of stasis and mutability. The disc becomes more fascinating with each listen, as one begins to sense a strange, ordered positioning to the seemingly random scattering of piano notes, the repeating t heme of what sounds to me to be a synth-marimba, as well as Johnson's signature electronic textures. There is also a distinct ocean wave underneath it all. The listener fluctuates between attention and inattention as the sound of Minimum phases i n and out of one's consciousness. It is an introspective zone containing a lifetime of change within an hour of pattern. Marvelous.

The second disc of Minimum is, for me, the highlight. The theme is still a journey of inner contemplation, but t his time expressed as a gorgeous, evocative, environmental soundscape--replete with nature's orchestra of crickets, water droplets, and gentle breeze. This breeze is entrancing. It lends an extra degree of realism to the atmosphere; as if one is on a wi ndswept field, with only nature and thoughts as company.

Disc two is separated into four movements, each distinct, but all clearly part of the totality. The gentle rising and falling of the sound comes to mirror the breath of the listener, pulling one into a feeling of transcendence--where the landscape and listener operate together as a single symbiotic lifescape. It is easy to let yourself become swept away by this disc. Johnson's piano notes are light and playful. The electronic textures gradually intensify, becoming the focus of the listener's attention; though always with that delightful piano. In total, disc two is an ever present perfume of sound; never cloying, always inviting. This is an all day journey; simply stunning.

Johnson once again proves his mastery of electronic atmospherics. His increasing use of traditional instrumentation as embellishment is a welcome addition. Minimum is one of the finest Johnson releases, a perfect example of modern ambient music flawlessly executed.

From Zero Music and Atmoworks.

since July 15, 2003