Hunter Complex - Airports and Ports

Review By Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Hunter Complex’s Airports and Ports is full of fascinating soundscapes, nuanced musicality and incredibly intricately woven synths. All of these elements combine to form a rich, thoughtful and complex album that takes one on an aural journey.

Texture, timbre, tone and the way in which each of these elements interact drive the musical depth of Airports and Ports. Hunter Complex takes his synth palette and inventively combines its different sonic characteristics to produce music that journeys through detailed, intricate auditory imagery. When one adds in all of the live instrumental performances, the end result is intriguing.

All of the musical guests on Airports and Ports help to create the addictive soundscapes that are on offer. Alexander Hawkins adds piano textures that grab hold of one’s ears, Aquiles Navarro sounds like no other trumpet player I’ve ever heard and creates scintillating sounds.

Kat Epple’s flute performance is serene and ethereal, Justin Sweatt’s guitar work brings an otherworldly mood to the album and Jantijn Prins’ acoustic guitar weaves warm textures into the music. Coen Oscar Polack’s field recordings contribute more interesting sonic depth to the album.

Atmospheric emotional expression fills the album in a way that charms me. Hunter Complex writes music that isn’t only for the head, it’s also for the heart. Deep, mingled emotion pours from each track and creates intensely detailed auditory imagery. I find myself completely absorbed in the music as it unfolds.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Airports and Ports” comes to life as steadily throbbing bass is joined by Alexander Hawkins’ shattered, high piano notes that wander in the distance. Synth shards twinkle in between the piano notes as the bass keeps throbbing. Airy sounds float through and minor key piano trembles briefly. Starry synths are broken by medium-high, steady pulsing synth as Alexander Hawkins plays a majestic melody.

Breathy synth notes add texture as quick fragments of piano flicker and bass throbs. A rising tide of glowing sound effectively adds more triumphant and exciting qualities to the track. Insistent synth pulses move as the piano cascades. Broadly shining synth soars above piano fragments and the bass pulse adds more strength.

Shimmering synth floats as high chimes break through and that driving drums and bass push forward. The bass has massive weight against which the piano notes vibrate. Sparkling synth gently falls through the music, split by airy notes and the bass throbs on. The track ends on flitting notes and the far away piano trails into silence.

Colossal, resonant drums pound into the music as medium-low synth sweeps through to open “The Garden.” Reverent choral sounds flow before the drums heave powerfully. A fragile, lightly touching melody is carried on rich, medium-low synth out over the throbbing weight below it.

Jangling synth flows along, cut by breathy light. Now Aquiles Navarro’s trumpet comes in playing a dreamily gliding melody, crying out with emotive strength. Only a skilled player like Aquiles Navarro can extract that kind of expression. Drums keep throbbing and the feathery, jangling synth wraps around the trumpet as it fills the track with wistful emotion before it fades out.

“Across The Atlantic, Into Africa” starts as xylophone sounds and a pipe-like synth create a textural pattern that undulates through the music, woodsy and reverberating. Gleaming, high synth washes through and rounded synths descend in a trickling pattern.

String-like synths create a soothing, enfolding background as elevated sounds flicker and warm choral sounds flow. Slowly pulsing, repeating synth creates a heartbeat that accelerates into a rapid oscillation. Metallic sounds brush through while the gentler, glimmering synths call out. The rushing oscillation beautifully adds life and energy to the music.

The sound of rain on a metal roof sloshes and trickles as synth sparks flutter. Coen Oscar Polack’s field recording sounds add another layer to the track as they move through it. Medium-high, full-sounding synths drift while windy noises blow through. Layers of sound all interlock to create a lush soundscape in this track. Steadily pulsing bass dances lightly as worshipful choral sounds move and an elevated synth sparkles.

Birds cry out and wheel in the distance as tranquil synth waves lap to start “The Windburn Is Terrible.” Kat Eppel’s flute echoes out in haunted lines as dense, wet-sounding metallic synth rings out and a steady, smoothly flowing synth oscillation moves through.

Kat Eppel’s flute has a haunted delicacy to it that I enjoy deeply along with a breathy floating feeling. Raking metallic sounds and active, full-sounding synth pulse move as Kat Eppel’s flute trembles and emotes while a higher, sharp-edged synth drifts.

Minor key, elevated synth supports the otherworldly flute playing. Shadowed feelings touch the music, contrasting with gentler sounds moving through before sweeping wind and birds calls end the track.

“New Arrival On The Island” commences as metallic, percussive synth rings out in dully resonant patterns. The wide, descending synth pattern is broken by a slightly buzzy trumpet as cascading tonal layers tumble. There’s something delicate and vulnerable about the layered sounds as sparkling higher synths sing out.

Aquiles Navarro’s trumpet distorts, lending it a slightly otherworldly quality as a hypnotic synth pattern descends, shaping the music. The trumpet floats out in roaming fragments that intertwine with the metallic synth pattern as gentler, more caressing sounds wrap around it. Wet sounds shift and enfolding synth slips through as Aquiles Navarro’s trumpet wriggles and gasps.

Soothing ease effectively mingles with more troubling, challenging feelings from the sharp glow of the trumpet. There’s a gliding relaxation in the distance as hypnotic synth anchors the track. Twisted trumpet sounds shift and quick digital sparks leap while the watery sounds sail through

Gruff, quickly pulsing bass that has flaring variations repeats under dynamic, brightly gleaming synth to open “Dirty Snow.” A sweeping hiss repeats while the varying bass undulates. The piano-like notes effectively pour out hope, dreaming and yearning as sweeping sounds shift.

Drums throb in steady, subdivided patterns while Jantijn Prins’ acoustic guitar adds another layer of  warm feeling underneath the inspiring piano. Far below, drums bounce evenly and the bass oscillates. The guitar gleams and dances in intertwining notes. Forward motion and life fills this track as rounded, rich sounds roll and fade into silence.

“City Pulse” comes to life as slightly echoing guitar notes are touched by string-like synths playing quickly shimmering notes. The full-voiced keyboard intertwines with the string-like synth and easy going, swirling sounds.

The guitar’s tone is uniquely lush and enfolding as Justin Sweatt skilfully adds expression to the track. There’s a feeling of ease and settled emotion in the track as a glowing synth thread runs through it. A misty sonic flow accompanies a distantly twirling arpeggio as it rises along with caressing guitar chords and breezy, flowing sounds.

Coen Oscar Polack’s field recorded sounds skitter in the distance to add atmosphere. There’s a meditative quality in this track balanced by the constantly whirling arpeggios. The music drifts into quiet on ambient sound and peaceful feelings.

Conclusion

Airports and Ports makes me think, engages my emotions and fascinates my ears. Hunter Complex and his musical collaborators create music that is rich, expressive and bears repeated listening. I would love to hear more music from this collection of excellent musicians.