-- "This release from 2011 offers 52 minutes of pensive electronic music.
Delicate electronics generate pleasant soundscapes designed for universal relaxation.
Atmospheric tones unfurl in the first track, providing vaporous foundation for auxiliary electronics which enter the mix as waves washing onto an invisible beach. The interplay of these waves creates a congenial pastiche of soothing character.
The second piece offers livelier tuneage with a looping sequence of a particularly spry quality. Additional electronics sweep in from the sides, lending depth and melodic enhancement. A pinnacle of pleasant intensity is achieved, and then the tune winds down in a deconstruction of itself.
The next song adopts a more pensive attitude with plodding tones, which are swiftly embellished by lighter electronics that bestow an alluring flavor to the flow.
The title track takes a melancholic look at a significant sunset, capturing the physical decay of light with an emotional verve of introspective mien. At some point, though, the musician steps in to change the mood from winsome to potentially uplifting, as the tones spiral from depths to vanish into the high altitude.
The next piece employs guitar in place of electronics as the main instrument, although a fair amount of processing is involved, twisting the strings into vibrations of a spectral character. A background drone provides an escalating mood of expectation.
The last track (the longest at 18 minutes) explores the generation of a harmonic in parallel with civilization, following the concept through to a point of flourish, then ultimately observing its collapse into decay. Bubbling diodes are accompanied by sighing tonalities during the opening stage. As maturity is reached, melodic aspects seep into the flow with the introduction of slushy electronics mixed with a mechanical edge. Eventually, an escalated pace reaches a point of muddled intensity, followed by a desolate appraisal of the barren aftermath with airy but sad textures.
This album was mastered by ambient pioneer Robert Rich." (Matt Howarth -- Sonic Curiosity: http://www.soniccuriosity.com)
-- "The completion of the dreamy ambient release "The Diminishing Day", very nicely mastered by the capable Robert Rich, took Steve (Austin) Rose over two years. The outcome, realized by synths and e-guitars, still realms in smooth soundscape territory, but on the go appears to be leaning a bit on the melodic side compared to his previous released music.
The textural atmospheres of "Somehow Different part 1" smoothly shift and evolve, sometimes to elevating effect, taking the listener into a kind of reflective zone. The 14-minute "Infinite Regress" relies on a repetive movement framework and mesmerizing effect. It sets off with a sequencer pattern to which dronescapes and a touching solo-voice are tastefully added.
The repetition-formulae continues on the soft soaring waves of "Those Who Remain", which aptly captures the feelings of remembrance, grief and sadness when a loved one dies. Far echoes shimmer through the piano keys and strings making up the darker, but also melancholic-oriented title track. Here, the sense of being abandoned sits next to a kind of repose. The distant soundscapes of "Guitar Abstraction #4" connect to Steve’s previous sampler album and sounds like nocturnal ambient in an active mode....
All in all, "The Diminishing Day" opens up doorways to minimal, reflective, and dream worlds." (Bert Strolenberg -- Sonic Immersion: http://www.sonicimmersion.org)
-- "Steve Rose’s sophomore outing, The Diminishing Day, can be split into two categories by motif. One half is sequencer-based, with cool and angular lines paired off floating melodies and glistening processed guitar; the other is made from long stretches of droning sound that border dangerously on stagnation at times. Clearly, I find the more melodic pieces to be the stronger tracks here. These are the first three tracks, and they’re quite good. “Somehow Different (Part I)” is a perfect mix of those diaphanous guitar chords, trilling sequencer runs and hushed backdrop electronics. It’s a calm, fluid track that eases you in and has a lot to show you. Rose boldly hammers in with piano at the outset of “Infinite Regress,” laying out and layering melodic segments that he then stretches out across time, letting them all fade downward. Here, the sequencer runs play perfectly off the drifty pads and flute-like songs. This is a beautifully pulled-together piece. “Those Who Remain” benefits from its geometric nature; Rose slowly peels sad notes off this block of sound and lets them float away. The base stays simple and perfectly repetitive, letting the listener focus on the feeling of the song that’s developing. Again Rose plays with time here, increasing the interval of the melody as the piece goes along. So while the essence of the thing remains the same, it possesses a sort of decaying dynamic... Rose is a rapidly developing talent with a lot to say, and ambient fans should keep an eye on him. The Diminishing Day is definitely worth an exploratory listen. " (John Shanahan / Hypnagogue: http://hypnagogue.net)
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The Diminishing Day Album Notes
The CD took a little over two years to write, record and mix. Of course, it took longer than I had hoped and anticipated. This seems to always be the case.... Nonetheless, I am happy with the final product and I hope you are too. :-)
When compared with my first CD, "Twin Earth: Collected Ambient Works" (2009), I find this one very different. This time around the music seemed to end-up perhaps a little more melodic. At the same time, I feel that this album has more movement (e.g., arpeggios, key changes, etc.). While I may have had certain conceptual ideas in mind, I really let the music guide me to unknown places.
1. "Somehow Different (Part 1)": This is the first part of a two-part piece where I wanted to experiment with the cycle of fifths / circle of fourths. Thus, there are a number of key changes. The melody starts off fragmented and, then, comes together at the apex of the piece. After this, it begins to fragment again as the piece winds-down. As the melody fragments it also changes pitch with the key changes. Hence, it may be said that the melody is always "Somehow Different".
2. "Infinite Regress": A real-world example of an infinite regress can be found in optics (i.e., two parallel mirrors will create an infinite progression of receding images). With this in mind, I wanted to try and create a sort of vacuum / tunneling effect. As such, the piece is broken into sections which continually grow longer time-wise. Finally, things sort of trail-off to create a feeling of repetition into infinity.
3. "Those Who Remain": Here we find a repeating melody with a decreasing interval over a stable background. Having these two elements in different time signatures ensures that the music is always in flux. I wanted to try and convey the sadness and grief that people feel when a loved one is lost (hence the title).
4. "The Diminishing Day": This piece was inspired by a photograph that I took (an altered version of this photo is used on the cover of the album). While viewing the image I felt somewhat melancholic (I was in the midst of a turbulent stage in my life) and this feeling manifested itself in the compositional process.
5. "Guitar Abstraction #4: The Flickering Flame": The fairly exotic sound of a diminished scale led to the composition of this work. While the intro and outro sections are in time, the middle "solo" section is freeform. The rise and fall of the lower bass notes in the opening and closing sections made me envision a white candle flickering in the dark.
6. "Tidal Pool": This piece is inspired by the lyrics of the first section of the Rush song "Natural Science". I like the analogy that Neil Peart (Rush’s main Lyricist) makes between tide pools and our own civilization. As such, “Tidal Pool” has three parts: (1) a long evolving section (the creation and the “society” that eventually develops); (2) the destruction of the pool; and (3) the sad aftermath of a “civilization” wiped-out.
Lastly, I would like to thank all those who helped make this album a reality:
Thanks to the following for their support, encouragement, and listening skills: Mom & Dad, Geneviève Lussier, Chris Austin, and Keith Kanasiewicz.
Special Thanks to Ambient great Robert Rich for not only his fine mastering skills, but also for his encouragement and patience.
Enjoy the music! :-)
All the best,
Steve
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