Michael Scott Dawson - Long Slow Distance / kitsune no yomeiri [Review]
I’m guessing, despite the probability of us meeting being slim, that Michael Scott Dawson and I will grow old together. Him at home making some of my favourite ambient music, and me soaking it up from across the Atlantic. If you don’t know, he’s a sound artist, guitar-forward multi-instrumentalist and producer exploring ambient and electro-acoustic compositions through synthesis, field recordings, tape loops and manipulations from his Saskatchewan home, mostly via the ever reliable, well-named We Are Busy Bodies label from Vancouver.
He’s also been unusually busy recently, releasing two albums in September and unsurprisingly, you should check out both. First is this ode to Japan, inspired by a recent Japanese tour, which is rich in field recordings grabbed whilst travelling or sitting in buildings with the windows open, contemplating the spring rains. I guess it’s nearest in DNA to his ambient Americana releases of recent times, if slightly more congested - not surprising considering Japan and Canada’s population density disparity.
Japan soundtracked, next up is Long Slow Distance, formed around the premise of “finding peace, and making peace where it can’t be found; and inspired by change, grief, acceptance, forgiveness, love, and running.” And his grandmother’s old rain barrel of all things, which is surely a testament to his poetic nature.
The recording is the gentlest of ambient breezes, the synth pads not even close to fluttering the bunting, let alone the town hall flag. Guitar chords expand to occupy the available time and with an average track time of five minutes, don’t expect much action, as Dawson takes a trip down memory lane to revise rural childhood memories with adult hindsight and then relay them with hard-won musical ability. Unusually, the guitar doesn’t sound very guitar-like most of the time, and that’s just fine, instead, the instrument’s sounds often evaporate into the ambient ether before revealing their nature, accentuating the welcome stillness before life’s next storm.
I really like these albums, but Dawson's previous releases are even better. Make sure you check out The Tinnitus Chorus and Guitar, Solo albums.
This review ran in TSMM's October 4th newsletter. If you'd like album tips direct to your inbox or the Substack app — plus the odd bit of industry insight and existential musing from TSMM HQ — you can subscribe here.
Playlist Companion
You can often find Dawson in the Slow Ambient Playlist.
