Rob Clouth - Zero Point (Mesh)

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On Zero Point, a new LP for Max Cooper’s Mesh imprint, Rob Clouth delves deep into themes of chance, chaos, coincidence and the ephemeral, using the zero-point energy from quantum mechanics as a unifying concept. Exploiting his skills as a software developer, Clouth has created a suite of tools that tap into data from the ANU Quantum Random Number Server (QRNS), an online service that publishes real-time measurements from the zero-point energy field. Zero Point is a love letter to noise, written with data sampled from the core of the universe.

In quantum systems the energy of any point in space is always fluctuating, so even in a perfect vacuum the lowest possible energy can never be zero. This vanishingly small, perfectly random energy source is called the zero-point energy, and it exists in every part of the known universe.

At the big bang, the universe was small enough to have been affected by fluctuations in the zero-point energy field. Some theorists think that matter itself may have emerged from this chaotic soup, like the black and white pixels of TV static aligning by chance to form a momentary image. If this is true, then all of existence could just be a great coincidence – a fleeting alignment of shifting probabilities that will eventually dissolve back into the static of the zero-point energy.

Harnessing data from the QRNS, Clouth creates intricate, unpredictable compositions, washed in pulsing waves of quantum noise. To him, ‘pure noise is like a block of marble. It contains all possible sounds, you just need to figure out which parts to carve away'. The human brain is wired to find patterns and will often perceive order when there is none, a phenomenon called pareidolia. Clouth exploits this to reveal delicate forms in the random data.

Like an image appearing in the static of a detuned TV, lilting chords seem to emerge from a dense cloud of noise on opening track ‘Dirac Sea Birth’. The title track and closer ‘Zero Point’ features a long, slow fade back into ambience. Between these two points Clouth touches on lurching, polyrhythmic beat science; sparse, hypnotic downtempo pieces; and crunching, mechanical dancefloor material. Stylistically, Zero Point explores the intersection between contemporary IDM, neo-classical and electronic dance music.

Retreating from his home of Barcelona to a rustic farmhouse in Aineto, a remote town in northern Spain, Clouth created most of Zero Point in conditions of isolation and near complete silence. ‘The silence meant that I could hear every little detail in the music, and so I played a lot with dynamics, filling each moment with barely perceptible sounds. It's the subtlest music I've ever written.’

Clouth’s creativity is enhanced by his own expertise in software development. On ‘A Shiver Sequence’ you can hear the QRNS data used to stochastically trigger vocal snippets, drums and other layers, resulting in 100 unique versions of the track that will be available upon release. A piece of self-made software called the ‘Reconstructor’ chops sampled sounds into tiny pieces and rearranges them to replicate a target sound. This allowed Clouth to use and manipulate his own beatboxing, a technique used on ‘Into’ and ‘The Vacuum State’.

At the piano, from which he had a view of the snow-capped Pyrenees, Clouth tempers the chaotic abstraction of random noise with subtle, hypnotic harmonic progressions. At once abstract and tender, Zero Point draws on a neo-classical influence to strike an improbable balance between conceptual rigor and catharsis.

Combining warmth with chaos, Clouth brings human emotion into contact with the universe in all its beautiful ephemerality.

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https://r

obclouth.bandcamp.com/album/zero-point

Released 12th March 2020

EXCITED.  I was a big fan of his Vaetxh output from last decade, very glitchy idm beats.  Looking forward to this.  The lead single The Vacuum State is available now:-

https://robclouth.bandcamp.com/album/the-vacuum-state

Love his output both under his name and Vaetxh. Sample track sounding promising. See you in March.

Psyched

Finally!

I need wax

  On 1/18/2020 at 6:17 PM, user303 said:

I need wax

Yeah I decided against it, sadly.  Reckon it would be a great album on vinyl, but cash moneyz

Loving that preview track.  March seems a long way away

Looking forward to this one. The single is nice.

This album is fucking glorious.  My mind just exploded - headphones are a must.

AOTY contender for sure.

Wil check out

Gave this a spin three times today and it is absolutely outstanding, so many ideas and such a range between dense and delicate. Lots of wicked rhythmic stuff to keep you engaged, loads of lush melodies and ambience, and some of the best sound design I've heard in a long time. So excited to discover more with repeated listens. Agreed about early contender for AOTY.

Couldn't agree more! Wonderful music. 

Edit: Also looking forward to receiving my very own unique version of A Shiver Sequence.

  Quote

Unfortunately the vinyl will be delayed for 3 weeks due to manufacturing delay. But to sweeten the deal, the first 100 buyers of the vinyl will get a unique version of the track 'A Shiver Sequence', which uses generative processes so that each export is different.

  On 3/13/2020 at 7:47 AM, kichiguy said:

Couldn't agree more! Wonderful music. 

Edit: Also looking forward to receiving my very own unique version of A Shiver Sequence.

 

Shit, I didn't know about the delay. Oh well, I can wait I guess.

yuuuge step forward for rob clouth, album bangs

don't sleep on it

  On 4/19/2020 at 12:29 PM, Ivan Ooze said:

yuuuge step forward for rob clouth, album bangs

don't sleep on it

Yeah, might be my AotY so far. Casimir is epic af.

It's pretty good!

I love the little stories and process explanation behind each track: http://www.robclouth.com/zero-point

Reading that makes you listen to it more closely.

Rob is a genius, I don't understand how can he be so overlooked even within the scene.

anybody get their record?

Mine arrived on Saturday (UK)

Mine's yet to arrive

Just picked up the record from the post office today. It was there since Friday but I didn't have the time to pick it up earlier. Very silent and dynamic pressing. Love it! Just the cover art sleeve came with a rather big tear in it (shrink wrap was not damaged nor anything inside so it doesn't seem like a shipping/packaging issue). Such things bug me more than is healthy so I've contacted Mesh if they'd be willing to send a replacement sleeve to ease my mind.

Btw anyone received the unique version of A Shiver Sequence? I haven't.

"The final digital and vinyl versions of the track are just 2 of over 100 unique versions I exported. The rest are given to purchasers of the vinyl, so that each person has a unique variation."

The more I listen to this, the more I appreciate it, especially at highest practical volume and/or with headphones as suggested.

It's way more of a "journey" album than his previous output, with so much satisfaction to be had.

Bump. This album is so underappreciated here on WATMM it's unbelievable. Am listening to the vinylz rn and it's such a mindblowing shit. Casimir is one of the most beautiful tracks I've ever heard.

(if you insist on appreciating) I dunno, it strives for this very common, watered down kind of beauty