For over two decades, Kansas City-based experimental musician and artist Collin Thomas’s work has shaped the field of avant-garde music. Thomas has devoted his more than two decades of professional life to pushing the limits of sound and composition. The result is a body of work that defies accepted musical conventions and provides listeners with an intensely immersive experience. Every note and pause in his music is carefully composed to provoke a variety of emotions, creating a delicate dance between the known and the unknown.
Collin Thomas has had a great influence on art history; innovators like Taylor Deupree, John Cage, Alva Noto, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Morton Feldman have all influenced him. These influences are clear in his music, which combines the emotional impact of Sakamoto, the conceptual inventiveness of Cage, the digital precision of Alva Noto, and the minimalist approach of Feldman. Because of this special mix, Thomas is able to produce music that is both emotionally poignant and intellectually stimulating—a rare combination that distinguishes him from other experimental musicians.
Collin Thomas has gained recognition throughout the years for his ability to translate difficult, abstract concepts into soundscapes that significantly connect with listeners on an intimate level. Many people characterize his works as contemplative and peaceful, encouraging listeners to journey through the acoustic terrain he creates and discover their inner landscapes. However, behind the surface, his music has a profound feeling of intention, frequently touching on themes of aging, memory, and loss.
Collin Thomas released “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air,” his magnum opus, on November 1st, 2023. This project is among his most personal and ambitious works to date. More than just a collection of songs, this album delves deeply into the emotional landscape created by caring for a loved one who is suffering from dementia. With sixteen expertly composed tracks, each lasting exactly sixteen minutes, the album delves into the cyclical and unpredictable nature of this crippling illness. In total, the music is nearly four hours long.
“The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air” transports the listener to a realm where, similar to the feeling of dementia itself, repetition and surprise, weariness and shock, combine in an unending dance from the very first note to the very last. Every song is an aural portrayal of the hardships, the ephemeral epiphanies, and the debilitating repetition that characterize the path of the affected person as well as the caregiver. Thomas has skillfully conveyed this emotional turbulence, producing an audio experience that is both demanding and illuminating.
Collin Thomas wants people to experience the weight of dementia—its unwavering hold on memory and identity, its capacity to both devastate and humble—through this album, in addition to hearing it. Offering a unique window into the lives of those who live with this affliction and those who love them, the album is one that requires listening, patience, and most importantly, empathy. An experience to be lived, a voyage through the gauze-covered eyes of time and the echo of recollection, “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air” is more than just an album to be listened.
The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air Album Track List:
Early Onset:
The opening track, “Early Onset,” from Collin Thomas’s album “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air”, is an extraordinary introduction to a journey that is both sonically mesmerizing and emotionally profound. The simplicity of this composition belies its depth, as Thomas masterfully uses minimal elements to evoke a powerful atmosphere of introspection and melancholy. At its core, “Early Onset” is driven by the piano, whose gentle and deliberate notes carry a weight that resonates deeply with the listener. The track unfolds slowly, each note carefully placed to create a sense of solemn beauty, drawing you into a tranquil yet haunting soundscape that feels both intimate and expansive.
As the track progresses, Thomas subtly introduces additional layers that enhance the emotional complexity of the piece. The delicate percussion adds a shimmering texture, while the understated synths, with their heavy and haunting quality, deepen the sense of contemplation. These components come together to enhance the ethereal quality of the piece, turning it from a straightforward piano melody into an auditory experience with a rich texture. A space where every sound can be fully appreciated is created by the slow tempo and sparse arrangement, which enables the listener to lose themselves entirely in the story as it is being told.
“Early Onset” is an immersive experience on the themes of memory and loss that run throughout “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air,” in addition to setting the tone for the remainder of the album. The track’s understated style is reminiscent of the slow deterioration of memory that occurs with dementia, when intense repetition and fading recognition are punctuated with periods of lucidity. A trip that is as much about comprehending the human condition as it is about appreciating the beauty of sound, “Early Onset” is a potent start to the album thanks to its fine balancing act between emotional depth and simplicity.
Is He Gone:
“Is He Gone,” the second track on Collin Thomas’s album “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air”, feels like a continuation of the sonic journey begun with “Early Onset,” yet it ventures into a deeper, more complex emotional territory. The opening piano melodies, reminiscent of the previous track, carry a similar ethereal grace and slow tempo, but with an added weight that suggests a shift in the narrative. The track immediately immerses the listener in a calm but foreboding mood, as though warning of impending emotional collapse. The work is anchored by the soft, majestic tones of the piano, which have a frail yet resilient beauty.
As the composition unfolds, Thomas introduces a subtle yet significant evolution in the soundscape. The addition of bassy, almost burning undertones brings a sense of urgency and unease to the track. These low-frequency elements, which feel like a combination of string and percussive textures, create a mysterious and slightly unsettling aura, contrasting with the piano’s delicate melodies. The way these two parts interact—one dark and smoldering, the other uplifting and soaring—reflects the album’s thematic examination of dementia, which is characterized by periods of clarity that are frequently overshadowed by loss and confusion. With the piano floating softly over the melancholic undertones, the tune strikes a delicate balance between calm and tension, making for an engrossing and moving listen.
“Is He Gone” ultimately deepens the emotional resonance of “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air”, offering a more intricate and layered reflection on the themes of memory and absence. The track’s progression mirrors the unpredictable nature of dementia, with its moments of blissful clarity abruptly giving way to a darker, more uncertain reality. The track is so captivating because of this dichotomy, which draws in the listener and suspends their emotions so that beauty and pain can coexist. By the time the song ends, it has made a lasting effect that will be felt long after the last notes have faded.
The Wrong Banquet:
“The Wrong Banquet” from Collin Thomas’s album “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air” is a track that delves deeper into the album’s emotional and sonic narrative, capturing the listener with its haunting beauty and intricate sound design. The song opens with delicate piano strings that immediately set a serene, almost celestial atmosphere. These piano notes, with their gentle yet profound quality, lay the foundation for a track that feels both intimate and vast. The slow tempo, a signature of the album, allows each note to resonate deeply, creating a soundscape that feels like a suspended moment in time—one where every sound is carefully placed to evoke a sense of both wonder and melancholy.
As the track progresses, Thomas masterfully introduces additional layers to the composition, elevating its emotional depth. The subtle entrance of guitar strings adds a majestic touch, enhancing the ethereal quality of the track. These strings, while gentle, bring a warmth that contrasts beautifully with the cooler tones of the piano, creating a dynamic interplay between the two instruments. This progression is further enriched by the introduction of soft synths, whose reverberating sounds add an earthly, almost tactile texture to the track. The synths’ screeching tones provide a stark yet harmonious contrast to the otherwise heavenly ambiance, grounding the track in a reality that is both poignant and inevitable. This blend of the celestial and the mundane is where “The Wrong Banquet” truly shines, as it mirrors the complexity of human emotions—particularly those surrounding the themes of loss and memory that permeate the album.
“The Wrong Banquet” encapsulates the essence of “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air” by balancing beauty with a sense of underlying tension. The track’s slow tempo, combined with the interplay of piano, guitar, and synths, creates a transcendent experience that moves beyond mere listening—it becomes an emotional journey. Each component has been thoughtfully placed so that the track develops organically, leading the listener through a kaleidoscope of sounds and feelings that are at once calming and overpowering. This is how “The Wrong Banquet” not only becomes a standout track on the album but also offers a deep analysis of the subjects of dementia and the human condition, leaving the listener in amazement and contemplation long after the last note has been played.
The Lies We Told:
“The Lies We Told,” a standout track from Collin Thomas’s album “The Gauzed Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air”, is an emotional heavyweight that envelops the listener in a dark, brooding atmosphere. From the very first notes, the track exudes an ominous presence, pulling you into a space where every sound feels weighted with meaning. The song opens with heavy piano melodies that, despite their density, maintain a soft and gentle quality, touching the soul with each progression. These piano notes, rich and resonant, establish a somber mood, setting the stage for a track that delves deep into the complexities of human emotion.
The soundscape thickens and gets deeper as the song goes on, with eerie strings added to weave among the melancholy piano melodies. With their unsettling, almost ethereal sound, these strings take the song to new emotional heights by introducing layers of suspense and dread. This specific instance of the album’s trademark sluggish tempo works especially well since it lets every note hang around, fostering a feeling of discomfort and reflection. A world of silent dejection and introspection is created for the listener by the mix of the melancholic strings and the powerful piano, creating a soundscape that is both intimate and overwhelming.
“The Lies We Told” is a masterclass in atmosphere, with its dark, brooding aura and meticulous sound design. The use of synths, which appear like haunted whispers, adds to the track’s eerie and unsettling vibe, punctuating the composition with moments of sharp intensity. The track’s somber, eerie atmosphere is maintained by these noises, which despite their subtlety, are essential to keeping the listener completely submerged in the emotional world that Thomas has created. This track keeps a steady, deliberate pace throughout so that the themes have time to properly sink in. By the end, “The Lies We Told” leaves you breathless, a powerful reminder of the emotional depth and thematic richness that defines “The Gauzed Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air”.
Collin Thomas’s ability to use sound as a platform for exploring intricate emotional and psychological experiences is on full display in the profoundly touching and philosophically dense album “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air.” The album requires the listener to give it their whole focus and emotional involvement; it is not meant for casual listening. But there are enormous advantages for those who are willing to take this adventure. For lovers of experimental music and anybody curious about the relationship between life and art, “The Gauze Eyed Gaze Of Bracketed Air” is a must-listen. It demonstrates both Collin Thomas’s compositional skill and his profound comprehension of human nature. This album is more than simply music; it’s an experience that will stay with you long after the last note fades.
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