Mirror - Pedestrian / Nocturne 7" (Three Poplars, 2000)

The second release on Heemann and Chalk's Three Poplars label bears the distinct honor of being the sole Mirror 7" (to my knowledge at least). What more, the A side "Pedestrian" features Chalk engaged in straight guitar passages, guiding the track with mbira-like loping figures. Underneath there still lies that current of atmosphere supplied by Heemann's synth work. On the B side, "Nocturne" is filled with sustained tones the likes of which populate their longer sides. Often the use of near stasis sounds has the effect of disorienting the listener to the lapse of time. Where this is usually sought during longer works, Heemann and Chalk use it here to widen the impact of a shorter piece as the mass shifts from an initial rumble into slightly higher registers.

Pedestrian / Nocturne

Andrew Chalk & Brendan Walls - This Growing Clearing (Three Poplars, 2004)

While the personal tendency for Chalk collaborators will generally veer toward Christoph Heemann, there are several other pairings of his that strike a stirring note (and sometimes even a few). Here Chalk teams up with a gentleman from Australia by the name of Brendan Walls, who might be most recognized for his work with Gregg Turkington for the Golding Institute's Final Relaxation. The recordings here were presumably assembled via postal exchange and take the form of a series of rises and falls for two simultaneous sound sources. The fragility of these two pieces should come as no surprise, though it is rare for a Chalk project to veer so often into the lower registers.

This Growing Clearing