Folian’s ‘Ache Pillars’ EP’s Boat-Rocking Soundscapes Lay Gently Atop The Listener

Folian’s David Fylstra has captured an emotional storm on tape via his Ache Pillars EP, available March 22. The four tracks don’t fit into any boxes anywhere, even those traditionally associated with experimental music since while utilizing completely unique, free-flowing song structure, he introduces a number of traditional instrumentation features. His work veers from a soundscaping drone to caustic black metal in a heartbeat without ever getting too bogged down anywhere along the way.

Fylstra shares on Bandcamp that he utilized guitars, minilogue, pedals, vocal cords, mini harp, ZOOM RT-123, melodica, cymbals, bells, and harmonica to put his latest release together, letting the music flow with the weight of the world around it wherever that push leads. Mostly, he sticks to a style that is most commonly associated with soundtracks, allowing his work to take on a form of soundtracking the listener’s life. Completely detached from stable ground and floating through fogs of at times naturally chaotic inspiration, this music works on a deep level, remarkably enough. Sound-wise, the parameters of what he’s captured spread all over the place, but emotionally — the effect is clear. This music delivers a fog, and then pierces through it before spreading out again, giving the listener a chance at contemplation. Time flies while engaged in this work — while challenging, Ache Pillars proves immensely rewarding via its dynamics.

Fylstra feels as though he’s captured not so much the raw nature of, say, a rainstorm or a hurricane or anything in between as much as he’s captured our emotional response to such a situation. In that, his work doesn’t have to be pinned down to a particular circumstance; instead, its colors reflect a wide variety of “rainstorms,” including the metaphorical kind. The varying in intensity “raindrops” percolating through his work might as well be tears.

Importantly, he has injected a complex form of peace into the situation. The way he’s presented his sounds makes his peace feel not representative of the absence of “war” but instead, like it’s persisting in spite of any number of versions of conflict. His music feels like walking into a fog without knowing what’s on the other side. There is no doubt the possibility of danger ahead, but we might as well walk forward.

5/5 Stars

Listen below via Bandcamp