The ten tracks on “Sunlir,” which according to press release are “Dedicated to Wendy Carlos,” continue the eternal procession of releases from the enigmatic Celer. The duo of Will Long and the late Danielle Baquet-Long set down enough musical explorations that Celer could go on posthumously as voluminously as Charles Bukowski. The looping tracks on “Sunlir” date from 2006 and, like most of their work, was self-released and rare to find even then.
Opening the set is “Spelunking The Arteries Of Our Ancestors,” which a straightforward, minimal ambient piece with subtle fluctuations of tone. “The Look That Falls Upon Us Extends As If A Landform” offers more of a swirling, Legeti-esque soundscape; “How Long To Hold Up A Breathless Face” is similar in cinematic imagery. “Igenous Matters Most” projects an echoing, haunting tone, as if recorded in a wide, empty, but holy building; that chanting doesn’t break out is almost disappointing. “Vitiating The Incline” has an insistent but lush pulse that takes its time in drawing out its many colors.
The longest piece, the ten minute “Espy The Horizon, Miss The Lost Road,” is consistently monotone, but its silky pulse is reverent, content to advance as is, at its own pace. It too could be considered a meditative, holy piece.
“Sunlir” continues the majestic, tragic and expansive world of Celer. It is available, in many formats, at their Bandcamp site; that there are many options with which to hear this music is fitting, as it should be approached with the idea that there are many gates through which to enter.