Justin Robinson Steps Away From Synths to Guitar Drones on “Last Chance” to Craft an Ever Evolving Tension Easing Drone

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Justin Robinson, photo courtesy the artist

Justin Robinson took a step away from his usual use of synthesizers in crafting the meditative drones of “Last Chance.” The descending progression is like watching late afternoon rain on a gray day through a window while clearing your mind to be open to having something worth saying or to the unraveling anxieties and mental stumbling blocks around resolving an issue or mystery that’s been plaguing your mind. The progression repeats for the just over two minutes of the track but that you can’t tell that it’s a guitar unless you’re familiar with the creative and innovative ways one can use a guitar to create streaming soundscapes is a testament to Robinson’s imaginative technique. Combining both the use of an e-bow to create that specific string resonance and reverb and maybe some delay and volume control to sculpt a flow of sound like the shifting colors of the Aurora Borealis is a level of craft that you will never learn in a conventional guitar lesson. Maybe watching a YouTube video where someone tries to use guitar to mimic a Fennesz composition or a Brian Eno song. But it’s not the technique so much that matters as how Robinson has crafted an emotional space and experience of sublime tranquility and quiet grace that transcends the conventional song format, defying easy analysis of structure and tonal choice. The song is both atmosphere and texture by suggesting both in a way ethereal and organic. Listen to “Last Chance” on Spotify.

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Author: simianthinker

Editor, primary content provider for this blog. Former contributor to Westword and The Onion.