Like much of ambient music, there is a filmic quality to Pascal Savy’s new release, The Silent Watcher. But rather than presenting a panoramic view of some sonic landscape, Savy works in extreme, intimate close-up, pulling tight focus to capture the intricate workings of things. Gears turn and interlock with stop-motion precision. Ice crystals climb the length of a blade of grass. An insect’s leg moves on sand. All of it rendered in exquisite slow motion, the ordinary turned alien, a moment pulled toward the horizon and held there.

Savy’s abstract concepts stem from sounds he’s captured from a variety of sources. The ticking of clocks, a rusty bike wheel spinning, field recordings…each bent, filtered and manipulated before being tucked with careful finesse into droning backdrops. There is also an air of sadness throughout, the recollections of things cast off, our attempts to recapture moments reduced by time and distance to imperfect memories. And yet, for all that melancholy, The Silent Watcher is never overly heavy or imposing. Savy manages to make it oddly soothing while maintaining both the emotional feel and the sonic intricacy.

Allow yourself to be guided through Savy’s musings on The Silent Watcher. It’s a trip you’ll be taking more than once. The Silent Watcher is a Hypnagogue Highly Recommended CD.

Available from AudioMoves.