Celer is the one man ambient project from Will Long, who has continued on with making music and soundscapes four years after the death of his wife, who was one half of Celer. For this new project, Long went back to the period when Celer were a duo and created a remix EP for theBelsslsssll album.
Even if you are unfamiliar with Celer or what he does, if you are a fan of ambient, eletronica, drone, techno, or minimalism, you will definitely find something here to enjoy. The opening track is a remix done by Celer himself, called “Bells&Bell&Bel&Be&B&”. It consists of nothing but a one-note drone for seven minutes, although it does travel as the note develops and shrinks throughout. It reminded me of some of the drones that starts Goldie’s “Timeless”, or the synth guitar work of The Police’s Andy Summers that he used in the band’s “Secret Journey”. It is meditative and tranquil, and can easily take your mind to a different place if you concentrate enough. The remaining three songs are remixes by Portland producer/artist Chris Jones, who works under the name Yard. “Bells In A Yard (Yard Dub)” is very much in the dub realm with a deep and heavy bass platform, as what sounds like a male voice (or chorus) is slowed down and chopped, while an analog recording with a song in the distance is turned up periodically so one can hear the tape hiss become an instrument. The sequence repeats itself for awhile before something else is added, becoming a part of the loop until the song as a whole fades out. “Ringing In Our Ears (Yard Remix)” sounds like someone entering a shopping mall during the holiday season and hearing a mixture of Christmas bells, or maybe it’s an ice cream truck in the distance, while beats are dropped in a subtle manner. The alternative to this is the Ambient Mix of “Ringing In Our Ears”, where the beat is completely removed and all you hear are the bells and rings as is, or chopped, or stretched, or becoming anything that it was not. I now look forward to what Celer and Yard will offer next.