Ambient: Dravier - Light Recalls Our Landmark For This Barren Mind (2019)

56 / 100

Dravier delivers a more austere and mentally demanding form of ambient compared to Bleu System.

From Sacramento, we move on to Los Angeles to meet Caleb Draves through his project Dravier, via the album Light Recalls Our Landmark For This Barren Mind, also released by Umé Records on July 20, 2019.

Unlike Bleu System, Dravier has released quite a substantial body of work, though it does not appear to be consolidated on a single main page of his own, instead being scattered across several labels, particularly on Bandcamp. What is presented here is clearly different as well. Dravier focuses more on ambient built from twitching, repetitive synths. These looping waves dominate tracks two through four, making it quite logical for Caleb to place “Memory Scene 1 (At the Bottom of a Natural Pool),” which flows more gently, at the front as a hook—despite sharing similar characteristics.

As a result, listening to this album at night while overthinking and exhaustion set in felt rather self-punishing for me, though on a later occasion it was somewhat redeemed by the opening track. Therefore, I do not really recommend Light Recalls Our Landmark For This Barren Mind as relaxation music, but it may be useful as a sleep aid or for those seeking a simple soundtrack that carries a sense of psychological pressure.

Best track: “Memory Scene 1 (At the Bottom of a Natural Pool)”.

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