Illimitable Abstract - time will tell

Illimitable Abstract

Time Will Tell
self-released; 2013

3.3 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Located in Pomona, California Marcus Evans creates ambient, looping, lo-fi music under the moniker illimitable abstract. Last year in 2013 in released Time Will Tell, which is a six-song EP that provides a decent foundation for Evans to build upon. The EP is a mixed bag of material but more often than not it is enjoyable.

Time Will Tell starts with one of the highlights of the EP entitled “Introductions.” Evans creates a melody that reminded me of Ariel Pink if he decided to create atmospheric music. The same melody repeats over the two-and-a- half minutes as it sometimes filtered and injected with a synth that sounds like radio frequencies, “So Old” is another successful song for Evans as he combines bending guitar strings, humming vocal parts and a consistent kick drum. I enjoyed the disparate parts he combined to create an amusing concoction of sounds. 

“Glass Splinter” sounds like elevator music you might hear coming out of from an actual elevator speaker. The extremely lo-fi sound works to his advantage this time around. The first time I heard “Pretend” I didn't even realize he was singing. It’s so buried in the mix and his singing style doesn't help much. 

“Pretend” revolves around a guitar and a very simple drumbeat that slowly automates using a low pass filter. “Time Will Tell” was the most ethereal song amongst the batch but couldn't get past the kick drum that was way too prominent in the mix. The guitar was good and I wish it filled the space around my speaker more. He ends with one of his strongest songs called “Disdain.” The songs drips with guitar parts that sound as if you were on the last hour of your chemical trip. 

Overall, Evans has some good ideas and sometimes successfully implements them. The main thing holding back these songs is the production. (i.e. Windy and Carl who create guitar driven ambient music probably wouldn't sound that good if it was lo-fi). With that being said Evans has created a solid structure to build upon and I am looking forward to see where he goes from here. 

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