The works of zakè always take their time unfolding into rich worlds of detailed, harmonic drone, and on Dolere – his latest for Germany’s Affin – he offers two of his most patient and affecting compositions to date, over a span of 70 minutes. For this study of the ways in which time itself seems to stretch and slow during phases of sorrow and pain, the artist describes an inspiration from the feeling of being “suspended in the weight of emotions we cannot change.”
First movement, “Dolera” (from the Latin dolor, describing anguish), drifts on gorgeous, melancholy waves that encourage total focus and slow, sympathetic breath. It is ensconced in a trademark analog hiss, adorned in the stereo field by sonic streaks of light and the contemplative sound of decayed tape samples, mimicking a mind unceasingly turning over its preoccupations. Nearly album-length in its own right, “Dolera” may act – like many zakè pieces – as a sonic Rorschach Test, equally capable of serving as emotional commiseration, or as the backdrop for the essential inner work of meditation.
The artist states: “This year, my life came to a halt, as if the Spring froze in its tracks; amidst the heaviness I longed for reprieve, and to escape the relentless march forward. These tracks serve as a refuge for those burdened by distraction or sorrow, offering a brief respite from the inexorable passage of time.”
Fittingly the title piece, “Dolere”, is named for the present-tense, infinitive form of dolor. This small but significant linguistic difference echoes the shift in mood from the album’s first half, as a more darkly-tinged drone underscores barely perceptible field recordings of birdsong, and the subtle drama of a glow peeking through somber fog. “Dolere” progresses at a deliberate pace, shifting its hues in the way tree shadows move across a forest floor; the background white-noise hiss builds in tandem as fixation intensifies. The only time entropy wins is when the final notes fade, and we’re returned to the ticking of the clock on the wall.
zakè’s catalog is rich with modern ambient highlights, and Dolere feels destined to become a touchstone of the genre in league with those by artists like Thomas Köner and Andrew Chalk, perfect for those in need of a breath during an era defined by breathlessness.
The partnership in this release is a natural fit, as zakè’s own renowned label Past Inside the Present has worked with Affin’s founder Joachim Spieth closely over the years, and both share the same noble goal of building uncommon sonic spaces outside the mainstream. Dolere is graced with artwork by legendary polymath Markus Guentner, whose own releases for Affin – alongside those of bvdub, Tori Fuko, and Simone Giudice – have helped define the label’s graceful aesthetic.
