Kris Keogh - Processed Harp Works, Vol. 3 (2022)

In the remote, far north of Australia, 1000km via dirt road thom the nearest city, Kris Keogh has spent the last decade composing otherworldly audio dreamscapes, nocturnes for the galaxies above. Without the light pollution of the city, Arnhem Land’s night skies glitter and glimmer in parallel with his heavily processed sound worlds.

Intersecting contemporary classical, glitched electronics and ambient music, Processed Harp Works, Volume 3 is exactly as described - Kris’ intimately recorded harp playing transformed, using self-designed software patches, into grand, glistening audio starscapes.

This is music full of contrasts - the acoustic tones of the harp are engulfed by heavy digital processing, while extremely quiet recordings (in which you can hear breathing and fingertips brushing strings) are layered into dense, epic walls of sound. It is this sense of bold juxtaposition that also allows this album to work as both an ambient background for the casual listener, or an intense sound experience for those willing to climb in and really pay attention.

PHW, Volume 3 is the third album in a continuing series, the previous volumes were released on Australian experimental labels New Weird Australia and Provenance Records in 2011 and 2017. The move to renowned Japanese label Muzan Editions sees a broader international release for the new volume, with digital and cassette versions.