Released on:
Lifeforms
Runtime: 2:48
After some slightly more rhythm-heavy tracks in the second half of disc 1, Lifeforms returns to pure ambient territory for the start of its second run. ‘Domain’ begins with wind, thematically tying it to tracks like ‘Bird Wings‘ on the first disc, before a melody fades in. Interestingly, it’s an interpolation of Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major, a famous baroque-era piece for strings. The use of a piece of classical music, especially an almost saccharine piece like the Canon, is quite an unusual choice for FSOL, but it works. It sounds like it’s being played on a warm synth pad, although it could possibly be a very heavily filtered recording of a string quartet. Occasional saturated synth notes appear on top, before more field recordings gradually overtake the music: at first crashing waves, and then several others, including people talking, bells and jungle sounds. As the music fades away, the track remains with the jungle sample, and a very subtle discord appears underneath, signifying a change in mood, and a suggestion of a tonal shift for the remainder of the album.
As with much of the album, the track was premiered on the third Kiss FM Transmission in late ’93, its only known appearance on a radio broadcast.
Credits
Written and produced by FSOL.
Written by Dougans/Cobain.
Engineered by Yage.
Recorded at EarthBeat Studios – London.
Fractional Difference 