On his debut release, Audition, Iowa violist and composer Jordan Dykstra uses nothing more than four strings, a bow and (sometimes literal) field recordings to craft a score-like EP that favours towards bare-bones, extended musical interludes. Recorded at a friend's farm outside of Portland, Oregon, the five songs that make up Audition come off slight in structure and composure.
Even when "Yellows," the EP's closing track, pushes its way towards the 18-minute mark, nothing about Dykstra's music comes off as bloated or self-serving, and on the cacophonic "Rolling Thundara," Dykstra casts a mood where others would simply create noise. With Audition, Dykstra doesn't just showcase his tasteful playing and forward-leaning songwriting style, he transforms it into an indisputable brand.
(Marriage)Even when "Yellows," the EP's closing track, pushes its way towards the 18-minute mark, nothing about Dykstra's music comes off as bloated or self-serving, and on the cacophonic "Rolling Thundara," Dykstra casts a mood where others would simply create noise. With Audition, Dykstra doesn't just showcase his tasteful playing and forward-leaning songwriting style, he transforms it into an indisputable brand.
