Michael Walton was destined to be on a label like Silber. Creating his ambient drone soundscapes through guitar manipulation and delay pedals (a la Remora) the County Durham inhabitant has found himself a growing popularity despite his isolationist mode of working and a sound that practically acts as a calling card for a label interested greatly in drone and experimental ambience (among other things).
So in the month that Sigor Ros release their latest album, fans of Walton, (alias MWVM) will find themselves gorged on post rock with the imminent release of his first full length; Rotations.
Hearing ‘Context . Where?’ for the first time you’d be forgiven in thinking that the sounds were produced by keyboards and even with this prior knowledge I still find myself doubting that the harmonious and peaceful sound was created entirely from guitar manipulation. Regardless of the technical aspect, the track establishes Walton’s prowess straight away, creating a sound that, from a solo artist, is remarkably structured, sounding more like an entire group had a part in its formation.
Uniquely and refreshingly, Walton also shows change in direction from track to track with ‘Fireside’ being an altogether more pensive piece that uses effectively the low drone of a singular note repeated throughout the composition as with ‘It’s Easy to be Miserable’ in which Walton changes the emotive feeling again, this time allowing the sound to conjure more of an ominous tone with distant industrious noises and sounds that replicate themselves while the rumbling bass increases in volume at slow but slightly disquieting speed.
It’s not all doom and gloom however, as previously mentioned ‘Context. Where?’ opens the album on a lighter note and there are others too within the mix, Walton providing a balanced ambient work that neglects neither one emotion nor the other.
‘Celestial Motions’ for instance, with its waves of guitar echo, warped to unrecognizable sound from such an instrument, creates an atmosphere that is less definable than previous tracks, creating a sort of spiritual air about itself with hypnotic loops and resonating repetitions of sound combing to compose a well woven soundscape.
As well documented in previous reviews of drone artists it is perhaps not the mastery of the instruments used in question, but what effect the music has upon the listener. And while most if not all ambient/drone artists may sail down similar musical outcomes, the subtleties in difference from one artist to the next is just as intriguing as the sounds they create themselves. With the track ‘Oratory Clout’ for example, the isolation of Walton when recording the album is captured precisely via its minimalist opening of a solitary sound which is repeated for some time, allowing ever so slightly the faintest hint of more “identifiable” guitar work to be layered over the top.
With post rock on such a wave of popularity at the minute it would be a shame for a project such as Walton’s MWVM to go overlooked, if not for its achievement as a solo project then simply for being a slice of great ambient music in general.
