Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - The Mosaic of Transformation

May 15, 2020 - Ghostly International

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is back with her latest project The Mosaic of Transformation, a sensory journey that begins and ends within the listener and the artist simultaneously, a journey to undertake as well as to observe. There is a strong connection between the project and the means of its creation, the traditional instruments and analogue synthesizers, the tactile midi controllers and Smith’s daily improvisatory movement practice. These choices work to push and pull the work in and out of consciousness and spontaneity and into a lesser understood realm of organic creation.

The project begins with ‘Unbraiding Boundless Energy Within Boundaries’ which lasts about as long as it takes to read the title. It is an appropriate title no matter how tongue-in-cheek; creativity can feel like toying with Pandora’s Box. Limitations are what define creations though and the playful noises of a warm-up routine are concise and controlled. ‘Remembering’ lifts the curtain on an ensemble of thoughts and emotions rather than instruments. Smith’s education in classical composition is immediately apparent and she wields the synthesizer like a full orchestra in its own right. Halfway through the piece, Smith’s voice enters the scene, alone at first but quickly it is joined by duplicates that form a round, reminding the listener and artist together to be kind. The voice(s) fade into the ensemble as the energy swells and declines like the tide.

‘Understanding Body Messages’ begins with arpeggiated bleeps and bloops that remind this listener of science videos of the 1980’s. We travel through the body admiring its complexity and inner workings while preparing for the next stop. ‘The Steady Heart’ again features Smith’s vocals, this time employing her semi-signature tri-layer harmonic effect. The voice is used as an instrument rather than a conveyor of story. Thoughts of trust, belief, encouragement, progress and emotion dance around the ceiling. Walls of stringed instruments and woodwinds expand and contract with collective breath. A floor of soft percussive loops provides direction in movement. The listener and artist are instructed to open up their hearts.

Onwards to ‘Carrying Gravity,’ and the room thins out. The strings and woodwinds pass melodic riffs back and forth as synth droplets pop in and out. A grounding sub bass presents itself as the melodic riffs begin to stick together. A crystalline structure grows from these culminations, the landscape forming itself around a central tower. The listener and artist are being pushed upwards, being reminded of their bodies and aspirations and dreams and memories. ‘The Spine Is Quiet In The Center’ starts as such, relatively quiet with elements of clockwork and time gently marching forward. Bass frequencies grow amongst softer pads. A much harsher horn-like synth calls forth, awkwardly breaking the calm. The horn heralds a brief age of experimentation; synth lines sprout up, vocal chops echo in and out of existence, dissonance grows and fades into harmony until everything fades into silence. ‘Overflowing’ acts as a brief thematic callback to the previous piece, mirroring the melodic ideas on the surface of the water. ‘Deepening The Flow Of’ does just that, expanding the boundaries the listener and artist thought were present. As we push down through the surface of the water, we are brought upwards as though emerging from a soft flan or jello. 

‘Expanding Electricity’ is the longest piece in the project and feels to be both its culmination and its provenance. Playful synth lines are set free, a strong marimba line lays the foundation for the rest of the synth and instrumental ensemble to grow. Smith’s voice calls out, “How can I help to serve you so you can do what you do?” The listener asks how. The artist asks how. The synth asks how. The music asks how. The creation asks how. It is the thesis of Mosaic. The synth and marimba lines speed up and amplify while also getting their ends chopped off to chaotic effect. Energy swells here to its peak, filling the room and everything inside. It’s a powerful piece that feels more like a moment caught in time than a carefully planned and constructed event. 

Smith’s mind for orchestration combines gracefully with her knowledge of analogue synthesis to provide the space needed for expansive creative freedom within the welcome confines of music and meditation. The Mosaic Of Transformation takes the listener and artist together on a journey of thought and time in a digestible and repeatable way, allowing the future to interact with the past. It comes at a welcome time and we are appreciative of the effort.  🍍