T.R. Jordan 'Dwell Time II' [CD]

Glass-mastered, silkscreen printed CD housed in a 4-panel, 300g satin cardstock Digipak. Clear cd tray. Numbered. Shrinkwrapped. Pressed and printed in the Canada. Edition of 200.

T.R. JORDAN – DWELL TIME II (Past Inside The Present, 2024)

"Dwell Time II, the second installment in a trilogy of tape loop experiments from T.R. Jordan, begins fittingly with “Dynamics”, as a grainy, fluttering howl opens into voluminous spatial tones, while dulcet synthesizers swell between the stereo channels with melancholy, crystalline sweetness.

Guiding his delicate world of sound through various technical and tactile manipulations, Jordan unearths sounds and textures that are otherwise not found in a natural state. Part of the fascination in working with physical formats is the ability to alter and interrupt – in this case, wrapping the plastic film of the cassette in foil, or bending and distending it with a fingertip, creating what the artist proudly calls “gorgeous imperfection”.

Suffused with soft warbles and fragile, insect-like clicks, “Swapped” trains a macro lens on the inner workings of loam and undergrowth, evoking a verdant air of renewal that always emerges from the chrysalis of natural cycles. Following close behind, “Allusion” carries the calm pace of a slowed clock, counting out moments of aching anticipation in melodic, meditative counterpoint.

Jordan’s fascination with mutability is evident in every second of this suite – even the most seemingly reliable loop is subject to the whims of a weakened battery, repositioning of the tape deck, or tempered malfunction. “Nested” offers a particularly deconstructed view, combining the spatial patience of Hiroshi Yoshimura and the connective tissue of early Eno experiments in its glassy tremolos and mysterious corners.

“Proxy” forefronts the stop-stutter of physical looping with antiquated machinery, and the hand-hewn effect of trying to control something as it tries to escape into the air, like flowing bands of the aurora borealis. “Repetition is a form of change”, the saying goes, and as each renewal of the loop asserts its own idiosyncrasies, we find the pulse of contingency.

As a continuation of the first Dwell Time album (Past Inside the Present, 2022), Jordan’s intention is a cohesive suite in three movements, all with the same materials and methods, in a concentrated period of inspired experimentation with no energy wasted – a form of “musical composting”, in his words. Citing the particular malleability of the Library of Congress’ C1 cassette deck, and the “halfway broken beauty” of the Roland RE-201 tape delay, he brings together disparate sources into captivating sonic approximations of flowing creeks, mossy rocks, and drifting clouds in equal measure.

The album’s final two pieces, “Murmur” and “Tampered”, bear this out with notable grace, as a sense of perennial permanence leads into waves of seafoam hiss, rounding out the set in a peaceful surrender to the cosmos. Brought into its final form with production by Rafael Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, mastering by Stephan Mathieu at Schwebung, artwork by Cynthia Bernard, and endless support from label head zakè, Dwell Time II is a remarkable ode to the infinite, viewed through the lens of the momentary."

- Written by Thomas Meluch 

Written and recorded by T.R. Jordan
Produced and mixed at Black Knoll Studio by Rafael Anton Irisarri
Mastered at Schwebung Mastering by Stephan Mathieu
Photography and graphic design by Cynthia Bernard
Layout by zakè


© 2024 Past Inside the Present
℗ 2024 Past Inside the Present Publishing (BMI)
Cassette :: PITP-C028 // CD :: PITP57

pitp.us // pitp.shop


Marketed and distributed by
Past Inside the Present

Cassette pressed by NAC
Manufactured and assembled in the US

CD glass mastered at duplication.ca
Pressed by duplication.ca
Manufactured and assembled in Canada



✦ About the Artist:

As a student of music, T.R. Jordan cultivates harmony, melody and texture from across the centuries. He began classical piano lessons while still stretching to reach the pedals, and counts Debussy and Chopin among his earliest influences; in this way, we hear something of the moonless night in his careful pacing and melodic mastery. As his passion developed, further influence came from the tape manipulations of Brian Eno and William Basinski, creating a natural drive toward experimentation, and an embrace of uncertainty through forgotten formats.

In an era largely defined by flawless resolution and digital acuity, Jordan dares to place acoustic and analog elements in lower-fidelity environments, creating distinct but familiar compositions. This approach is best heard on Dwell Time and Dwell Time II (Past Inside the Present), the first installments in a trilogy of loop-based reflections on quietude and the verdant infinite, all created during a singular period of epiphany and inspiration. Jordan prefers “methods and means that are temperamental, and that eschew perfectionism,” such as the beloved, versatile Library of Congress C1 cassette deck for the blind, and the joyously unpredictable Roland RE-201 tape delay.

Combined with an academic knowledge of the piano and double bass, Jordan’s willingness to sacrifice any sense of musical certainty and push headlong into the unknown, is much of what makes his unique soundscapes so striking. Long time production assistance from like-minded composer Rafael Anton Irisarri brings yet another dimension to Jordan’s work, as his pursuit of uniquely fascinating forms both honors, and upends, established theory.