Review: The Meditative Ebb & Flow Of Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s ‘The Mosaic Of Transformation’

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith | The Mosaic Of Tranformation | Ghostly International

Release Date: 15 May, 2020

Everything around us is made up of energy; the matter that surrounds us buzzes with vibrations – the frequencies running through our veins, shuddering within our bones and our bodies, allowing us to move, to express, to feel. The electricity that powers us may be invisible to the naked eye, but within each action we take – we grasp something that is visibly tangible, and form it into an action, a word, an experience – the energy of our expression.

For American artist, producer and composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, the idea of capturing the seemingly intangible core of our existence; the innate power that we possess, discovering the ways in which we can harness this inner power and bring it to life – lies at the core of her latest LP ‘The Mosaic Of Transformation’ – capturing the frequencies of physical movement (or, ‘visual language’) and its relationship to sound, texture and colour.

“I guess in one sentence, this album is my expression of love and appreciation for electricity.”

With the Buchla Music Easel one of Smith’s main means of conversion of frequencies into an auditory experience, the artist began to embrace a daily ritual of improvised physical movement. For reference: a Buchla Music Easel is an incredible performance piece of synthesizer equipment, which is able to capture the ‘electricity’ of physical movement, and transform the energy into sound. This technique has allowed Smith to produce an album that is quite unlike anything else.

“The inspiration came to me in a sudden bubble of joy. It was accompanied by a multitude of shapes that were moving seamlessly from one into the other…My movement practice has been a constant transformation piece by piece. I made this album in the same way. Every day I would transform what I did yesterday…into something else. This album has gone through about 12 different versions of itself.”

The soothing fluidity of ‘The Steady Heart‘ captures the aura of a sensory journey; as if drifting through a celestial, otherworldly dream – a meditative glide through an atmosphere warm with soft, delicate beams of light – dotted with the gentle silken touch of transient clouds. Electronic woodwind arpeggios sweep rapidly as the track’s opening, flocks of birds swirling in determination – deeply embodying the gentle ebb and flow of visceral motion.

Bubbling synthesizers chirp curiously as rich, lavish soundscapes begin to sprout layer by layer – textural electronics shaping an idyllic sphere of sound as Smith’s vocal harmonies float effortlessly in their ethereal dance. Her melodious, echoic vocals alone shimmer with the delicacy of spellbinding motion; as though we are able to actually feel Smith swaying in her gentle, focused flux – not only following her in a mesmerising undulation – but moving with her, as a tender beat introduces itself into the ambience, the composition of the track remains perfectly balanced – radiating a loving, wonderful trance that feels incredibly natural, a beautiful experience to get lost in.

There is a deep sense of connection within tracks such as ‘The Steady Heart‘ and the entirety of ‘The Mosaic Of Transformation‘ itself. Whether it’s Smith’s own deeply personal connection with herself shining through in each composition, or the way in which she has allowed her own ‘frequencies’ to reach us as listeners: the experience comes across as comforting, emotional and loving in it’s hypnotic nature – the journey through the realm of ‘The Mosaic Of Transformation‘ embodies a glittering sense of bliss.

Rating: 8 / 10

Feature Image: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith by Chantal Anderson