A former prodigy of the British psychedelic explosion, this solo full-length represents a change of pace for blues guitarist, John R Holmes.

Performed on a custom-built Eurorack, ‘The Forgotten Art of Living’ is a singular exercise in building and refining forms; a stochastic dialogue, which coalesces both artist and machine into its generative praxis.

‘Gondwana’ captures the inherent tensions of this modern relationship, eschewing kitsch exotica for the zoetropic flicker of imagined soundscapes. Quivering frequencies swell and distend, gently unravelling a paresthetic chorus of chirping debris. Amidst the ferment, Holmes traces a shifting course, pursuing fragile resolution into the depths of the track’s interior. Above, loose kicks groan gently, tethering each knotted element to a more tangible sense of space.

Gradually, his subtle explorations give rise to a languid, punctured euphoria; a swelling synthesis, which pitches outwards in reverie and resistance. This second line alters the nature of the first, bringing wide-eyed resolution to a novel discourse.

‘The Forgotten Art of Living’ is available from Sound+Matter now.