The  Bratislava-based artist explores beneath the surface for his sophomore LP.

FACT Rated microphone-builder and experimental composer Jonáš Gruska returns to his own label LOM with a new album, Žaburina.

The album charts a movement away from the DIY field recordings of his 2017 debut Spevy, focusing instead on digital synthesis and algorithmically-generated computer compositions that represent the imagined ceremonial music of what Gruska describes as “non-traditional, alien societies living mostly underwater”.

The albums key inspirations include hydrophone recordings, the work of Harry Partch, and traditional music from Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The new compositional direction taken by Gruska on the album was as much informed by his new live set-up as it was his subaqueous alien mythology. When performing live, the artist uses a series of horn PA speakers that he refers to as “my little choir”. The position and the shape of the speakers result in a brighter sound with a focus on high and mid-range frequencies.

This set-up not only played a vital part in shaping Gruska’s compositions, but also reduces the detrimental effects of listening to the album on lower quality systems – “It can actually benefit from it”, says the artist.

Žaburina is available now via LOM. Check out the cover art and tracklist (complete with English translations provided by the artist) below.

Tracklist:

01. ‘Vidina’ (‘Vision’)
02. ‘Svitanie’ (‘Dawn’)
03. ‘Slávnosť’ (‘Ceremony’)
04. ‘Vodné spoločenstvo’ (‘Underwater society’)
05. ‘Hladina’ (‘Water’s surface’)
06. ‘Sen’ (‘Dream’)
07. ‘Rybacie spevy’ (‘Fish chants’)
08. ‘Slnečno’ (‘Sunny’)
09. ‘Broshuda remix / meditation’
10. ‘&apos’ [Remix]
11. ‘Dážď’ (‘Rain’) [Bonus Track]
12. Max Eilbacher – ‘Narrative Arc Library’ [Remix]

Read next: Bratislava’s LOM is bringing affordable field recording to the masses

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