F151.01 is the medical classification for Insomnia – something that Ryan Summers knows about all too well. His ambient music project released this year is a collection of tracks that evoke with trying to deal with the affliction.
Built entirely on software synthesizers, the album sounds were then pushed out into an old church and the resulting wall noises and echoes were recorded and added into the mix for the albums final feel. It gives the entire collection an added layer of warmth and depth that is difficult to programme in – an analogue side to the pure digital arrangements. From the looped pads of “Beneath the Ice” which feels like a swirling brain, “Clock Works” is more caustic with tick tock percussion and droning doom clanging underneath.
As the album continues, the recurrence of time flips between echoing motifs that make time drag on and become distorted, to the detuning of the frequency of the human mind. It’s really cleverly put together and some tracks like “E” veer into a sci-fi realm with its metallic synths and phaser effects. “Music Box” instead makes me feel like I’m trapped in a Tim Burton nightmare. Things get progressively more choppy and violent in their transitions before the ethereal “Logos” seeps in and out like a gentle slumber although it feels like a temporary downbeat solution rather than a refreshing reawakening.
Ryan Summers’ F51.01 is certainly not for everyone but it’s a great concept ambient album and if ambient music or sound stories intrigue you, this is definitely worth some time in your mind.
Recommended Track : Music Box