Conceptual sound artist, musician, and composer Lola de Mata developed tinnitus and vertigo and was told to give up music; instead of following that terrible medical advice, she decided to record her tinnitus and use that as the inspiration behind these compelling compositions. I had no idea it was possible to record inner ear ringing but biophysicists did just that, and you can hear it on the tracks “Left Ear” and “Right Ear,” which, at least to my ears, sound like pleasant minimalism that’s not too far off from a Phill Niblock track. For the other tracks, de Mata used various glass and metal instruments, stringed instruments, a theremin, an ear canal-shaped gong, voice, field recordings, and other gizmos for these deeply exploratory and vibrant soundscapes. Definitely experimental; the detailed sounds on Oceans on Azimuth are complex and captivating, making this a very intriguing release.

Self-Released