When it comes to ambient music, the boundaries are clearly defined. Some people find it totally boring because nothing seems to be happening, while others take the time to peel back the sonic wallpaper and discover things that would otherwise remain hidden. There is a lot to discover on »Red Hair Girl At Lighthouse Beach«. It is the first joint album by Italian ambient musician Gigi Masin and Rod Modell, a Detroit producer and member of the duo DeepChord. For the album, the two have each reworked an unreleased track made by the other.
Rod Modell’s reworking of Masin’s »Red Hair Girl At The Boat Stop« keeps the tension up for almost 20 minutes, because there is always something moving in the dark ambient fog: crackling beats, string samples and splashing water appear and disappear, while the next threatening sonic background builds up in the background. It brings back good memories of the Berlin dub techno school of the 90s. In stark contrast is Gigi Masin’s treatment of Rod Modell’s »Summer Morning At The Lighthouse Beach«. The 15-minute track sounds as bright and optimistic as a summer morning when the fog lifts just before sunrise. Masin garnishes the gravitational stream of sound with minimalist guitar and electric piano. And we have the feeling everything will be fine.
