Michael Scott Dawson
Emma Ruthnum
Canadian sound artist, multi-instrumentalist Michael Scott Dawson is next up in the Magnetic Mix series. Dawson recently released a new album, aptly titled Music For Listening, which combines tape loops, field recordings, and quiet fractured guitar melodies in the peaceful manner of his 2020 debut Nowhere, Middle Of.
The album took several forms over several years. It was originally influenced by a call to his 95-year-old grandmother and the observation of seeing birds outside, like she was a kid. He started working on some old recordings, but it never coalesced into an album. Then some years later, he started playing the recordings and playing guitar with them. This led to the serene blend of guitar, loops and field recordings you hear now.
He channels this into this Magnetic Mix.
“This mix is a collection of some old favorites, current loves, and new discoveries. My new album was built around tape loops, field recordings, and quiet fractured guitar melodies. I wanted to compile a peaceful mix that explores different ways of drawing from that same palette,” explains Dawson.
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“In a sentiment borrowed from biologist Gerald Edelman, Oliver Sacks claimed, ‘Every act of memory is to some degree an act of imagination.’ While I certainly agree, I also think the opposite is often true. For that reason I tend not listen to much music when I’m working on my own projects, or if I do it’s not at all in the realm of the music I’m making. As a result I truly enjoyed the opportunity to sit down after the fact and pull together this collection of music that also explores environmental sounds, tape experiments, and guitar. Although I did also include a couple brief moments of free jazz and an organ dirge for good measure,” says Dawson.
Listen now to the mix for that peace, plus a few brief and frantic moments of free jazz thrown in. Follow along with the tracklist.
Tracklist:
1. Bibio – The First Daffodils (00:00)
2. Taylor Deupree – Autum (02:34)
3. km: – room (08:51)
4. noda yûki – arle (14:42)
5. Marcus Fischer – Wave Atlas (19:19)
6. Fuubutsushi – Tsundora (23:23)
7. Ryosuke Miyata – Until The Rise of The Sun (25:25)
8. Rhucle – アヒルと木 (27:42)
9. Raum – Sunlight crying (29:47)
10. Grotta Veterano – Slumbers, Part 1 (36:17)
11. Andrew Tasselmyer – Leaves In The Wind (41:18)
12. Kali Malone – Prelude (45:12)
13. His Name Is Alive – Return To Never (47:22)
14. Duelling Ants – Putting on a Band Aid (51:11)
15. SOWNBONES – blinding tunnel (54:38)
16. one-four – it happens, occurs, befalls, comes to pass (56:43)
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