With “In Foreign Lands,” the Chilean audiovisual artist Jaime Cid demonstrates again that he is at the height of his creative powers. The artist is currently releasing two tracks a month via Bandcamp as he prepares for an LP release later this year. Combining refined and emotive compositional skills with his abilities as a 3D artist and programmer, he joins audio and visuals into striking creations. Regarding “In Foreign Lands,” Jaime explains:
“I printed this piece with the emotions I get when I am in a new place. I wanted to represent exotic colors, so on top of the piano, I added a layer of sound design, twisting its traditional sound into a space for itself to live in.”
On the artist’s newest offering, glowing lines of piano tumble in expressive arabesques of radiant melody. Meanwhile, gentle layers of expanding ambiance create a night-like sky, wherein each emotive phrase can ring out. But it is the economy of expression here and the moments of negative space surrounding them that are so amazing. Like the Japanese art of Shodo or Zen calligraphy, Cid seems to seek that pure expression before the mind’s grasping and analysis.
Perhaps it is no accident, then, that the visualizer for “In Foreign Lands” has a calligraphic feel to it. Jaime explains, “I always try to find new ways in which I can use technological tools to create visuals that, hopefully, will transform my music into a memorable and unique experience.” Using a procedural technique that allows him to respond to the music in real-time, Cid’s expressive, abstract graphemes gesturally articulate white lines against deep beds of black. It is the perfect visual echo for this gorgeous track.
