Blue Lake – Sun Arcs | soundsfromthedarkside

Blue Lake - Sun Acrs_Front_SfttDS_ Blue Lake offers everything and more to watch this year’s dark clouds float by.

Jason Dungan, who originates from Texas but lives in Denmark, has a great feel for translating windswept surroundings to an unique form of music which isn’t easy to categorise. Under the name of Blue Lake he explores ambient drone and spiritual jazz into holistic soundscapes. On Sun Arcs he makes use of all kinds of instruments. From drum machines to clarinet it’s all there but most eye-catching is a 48-string zither he built himself. Readers who come to this place for all the heavy stuff are advised to stay away from this album, unless you’re looking for a heartfelt change of pace. In that case you’re in for a treat.

Dungan took the title Sun Arcs from an album from the legendary trumpeter Don Cherry. So are we dealing with a reinterpretation here? The short answer is no because Blue Lake is not about the traditional jazz frameworks. But we could also say yes, because Cherry’s warm and open play clearly influenced Dungan’s explorations. The central idea behind Sun Arcs was to find a harmonious middle ground between the sounds and landscapes of Texas and Scandinavia, his current home. This ambitious fusion results in Americana-infused compositions that are combined with Northern European folk instrumentation and unhurried low-slung jazz and light droning.

The journey begins with Dallas, a track that brings us to the American heartland with twanging acoustic guitar strokes and soft percussion. Gradually, distant pipe organ drones emerge, leading to a tranquil ambience, accentuated by cello play and strings. Dungan’s custom zither takes the centre stage on Green-Yellow Field, which with two and half minutes is a brief interlude that breathes out silent reflection early on the album. Bloom is the symbolic transition towards the other side of the Atlantic and masterfully combines the two musical worlds. Here zither sounds overlay each other and strings and careful drumming push the track forward. The feel of the song reminds of Tortoise’s groundbreaking 90s post-rock experiments although Dungan never becomes a straightforward copycat.

On Rain Cycle he makes his mark by taking an abstract turn which is based on a seemingly free flowing drum machine that is programmed to create jazzy rhythms. While the rhythms are not of full made human improv it does provide a great setting for light zither tingles to float above and below the drum machine. The album’s pinnacle is the 9-minute Wavelength that serves as the grand finale to Sun Arcs. Again zither sounds are looped and overlayed while field recordings other wind instruments gently support. The interplay here is mesmerising.

Sun Arcs is a charming and whimsical album in which you can easily get lost for a while. Maybe the most special thing about it is that Dungan created music that can adapt itself to any state of mind and therefore will fit any mood or view without ever sounding the same.

Label: Tonal Union, 2023

Buy it here: https://bfan.link/sun-arcs

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