Tags: Experimental Ambient

Review: Returning, Dream, the sophomore album from Jack Wyllie's Paradise Cinema, blends the rhythmic intensity of African percussion with ambient textures and electronic influences. Created in London with contributions from Dakar and Sydney, the album draws inspiration from the Many Worlds theory of quantum physics, where each decision branches into new possibilities. This concept mirrors the album's abundant rhythmic diversity, led by hand drums like the tama, sabar, and surdo, played by Khadim Mbaye, Tons Sembe, and Laurence Pike. Wyllie's use of woodwinds, reeds, and synthetic layers creates a lush soundscape. The title track, 'Returning, Dream', revolves around hypnotic flute loops and ritualistic rhythms, while 'Tide' recalls Steve Reich's minimalism with delicate metallic chimes and dizzying, ecstatic patterns. 'Night Search' blends saxophone skronk with North African tonalities, invoking the trance-like riffing of the Master Musicians of Joujouka and the spiritual heights of Pharoah Sanders. 'A Morning In The Near Future' is mellow and meditative, while 'Nowhere, Home' offers a noirish, Blade Runner-esque atmosphere. Wyllie's Returning, Dream is a bold, genre-blurring journey that merges global rhythms with innovative soundscapes.