No Magic Hand

September 21,2024

No Magic Hand

Ben Gunning is one of those musicians whose restless creativity is the source of their forward momentum. The forthcoming No Magic Hand skillfully intertwines several threads that can be heard on in his more recent work. On one hand it's full of the buoyant electronic rhythms that characterized Nature, but on the other, it also picks up on the detailed and organic sound design found on Muldrew (2019, Séance Centre), the noted LP on which he partnered with acclaimed saxophonist and composer Joseph Shabason. The gleefully polymorphous production found on No Magic Hand variously employs understated guitar, propulsive beats, fluorescent synths articulating sophisticated harmony, beneath and beside Gunning's agile falsetto singing yet still manages consummate cohesion. Perhaps most intriguing of all is how Gunning has applied Muldrew's laidback impressionistic sensibility to his songwriting—which had previously favoured taut and tidy structures. These new pieces are suffused with a newfound inquisitiveness and introspective playfulness that audibly impacts all domains: from the formal, to the textural, the sonic to the textual. Yet any abstraction is mediated by Gunning's gift for crafting bold, evocative melodies. It's his debut outing for Toronto's Halocline Trance, the feverishly eclectic imprint curated by David Psutka of ACT!/ Egyptrixx notoriety and featuring artists such as myst milano, Colin Fisher, Anamai, Casey MQ, and Stefana Fratila.