We truly appreciate anyone who embodies the artistic ethos put on display by American aural explorer Lia Kohl. Artists who don’t play by any specific set of rules, moving with purpose and meaning, truly believing in the cathartic power of sonic frequencies as a communication medium. To us, that’s the highest step in conscious music making. We suspect that Kohl knows that too, a belief that’s greatly supported by her latest effort, the ambient-driven, minimalistic piece ‘Home, Los Angeles’ featuring claire rousay.
Framed into the three-part suite ‘Penny Whistle Seller, Guangzhou’, the track anticipates Kohl’s upcoming album, ‘Various Small Whistles and a Song’, expected on November 14th via Dauw. To fully grasp the overarching concept behind this large body of work, we need to reference Ed Ruscha’s 1964 photographic artist book ‘Various Small Fires and Milk’, whose ordinary imagery has had a deeply inspirational effect on Kohl, especially on its depiction of fires, which are here translated in sonic form as whistles.
As she eloquently explains: “I’ve always been captivated by whistling—it’s musical but often a bit unconscious; usually solo but often done in public places. There’s something tender and human about hearing someone whistle, a socially acceptable version of hearing their mind wander.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Home, Los Angeles’ on Spotify:
