He has released music in a band (Halfset), as part of a duo (Mount Alaska) and as a solo artist (under the guise of Strands). Now Stephen Shannon is turning his hand to another new creative endeavour. The Dublin producer and musician has latterly worked as a composer of TV and film scores; this album bridges the gap between his electronic background and his passion for orchestration.
The marriage is a seamless one in Shannon’s hands. Aided by members of the contemporary classical collective Crash Ensemble, these compositions combine a lush and often poignant score with a forward-thinking electronic undercurrent that adds atmosphere and texture.
The pandemic inspired this project via an Arts Council award, while the impact of life in lockdown and the death of two friends compelled him to reassess his priorities.
As such, the beauty is in the small moments here: the syncopated rhythm of Le Diagonale, which grows in intensity before an escape valve softly unleashes the build-up of pressure; the playful trickle of piano in the rain-dappled Evergreen; the quiet magnitude of The Manes, which could sit in any Christopher Nolan film scene; the shimmering, glittering explorations into electronic sound of the title track, or the satisfyingly guttural synthesised bass of Eyot.
The title is a giveaway: there are endless depths to be plumbed and explored here, with each listen revealing a little more.
