Dome-Trax-Amy-Reid-electronic-music-review

Dome Trax

Amy Reid

EP
Electronic

Liam Murphy

July 13, 2022

Tracks in this feature

Tracks in this release

The warmth and rejuvenation of habitat is represented beautifully through gorgeous synthesis and field recordings

It is hard to assess how much we have been affected as we attempt to pick up the pieces in the wake of a global pandemic. For many, Covid-19 was the first major realisation that life never really slows down, the steady passage of day and night provides little time to sit and truly come to terms with tragedy. During the major lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, many retreated into themselves, diving into subsequent feelings of isolation. Homes, cars and rooms became places of quiet solitude and vulnerability for those lucky enough to have them. Places where one could exist, worry, relax and hope. 

On Dome Trax, Amy Reid creates a different sense of solitude. While in residency at The Merriweather District, the artist created a 25ft geodesic dome, filling it with life, light and sound in a push to redesign the concept of habitat. This 5-track EP showcases the sonic journey’s that Amy treated the attendees to. 

Utilising sound recordings captured from around the Maryland area, Dome Trax can feel like many different places at once. The gentle patter of rain on Isolated Showers is daunting at first, accompanied by methodical percussion that communicates a sense of dread. A feeling of loneliness sets in as rain begins to fall. But as writhing synth wormholes travel through the soundscape, the atmosphere is softened and made reposeful. Amy Reid transports us to a location, and counters feelings of bleakness with swells of positivity and warmth. Conversely, synth tones buckle under glistening heat on Solitary Sunset. There is a golden light that emanates through the track, in the thick synthesis, as well as shimmering melodies that break through the haze. Amy calls the listener toward the natural world, inviting them to feel at home in the slow movements of the earth. 

The EP’s swansong is perhaps its most incredible part, with swirling tones buffeting underneath pointed rhythmic notes. The artist searches through an emerging recorded landscape with elegant piano. A sense of vertigo pushes through the gentle sequence, visions of a mountain range gliding past beneath us as clouds of pad sounds clump together just below. All falls silent, before the euphoric phasing tones from the start erupt gracefully once again. The track’s generally meditative vibe and imaginative timbre are indicative of the many creative pathways Amy took throughout the original project, experimenting with sound, image and craft.

One can imagine that the dome in The Merriweather District felt like its own ecosystem; its own microcosm of comfort and reassurance. Due to Amy Reid’s incredible creative energy, Dome Trax echoes this same feeling. The instrumentation holds us through adverse weather, soothing the listener and reinforcing the perennial beauty of nature. Either side of this experience rests two moving and restfully triumphant tracks. Throughout, the artist offers solace and sanctuary.