T. Gowdy: Miracles

Since 2018, Canadian producer, Timothy Gowdy (better known as T. Gowdy) has constantly released new music. While exploring the world of sound design, including his audio-visual pieces having been exhibited at various galleries and events across Europe, Gowdy has slowly built up a reputation as one of the emerging voices in underground electronica.

Gowdy first came to our attention with his 2020 Constellation debut, Therapy With Colour. Since its release, he has become a mainstay on the Canadian label, also featuring on their Corona Borealis Longplay Singles Series throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022 marks a return for Gowdy with his latest offering, Miracles – his fourth LP and second for Constellation.

Where Therapy With Colour consisted of stereo live performances, Miracles is far more vibrant, oscillating between skinny techno, minimal IDM and multi-layered textures of sound that act as a gateway to a new world.

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Starting with 350J. Quite the outlier on Miracles as a 90 second feedback-heavy surge hurls us into the abyss. It’s not a place we inhabit for long, however, courtesy of the gorgeous title track. A translucent voyage that echoes the vibe of forest rave euphoria. Not in a hedonistic way, though. Think of a secluded safe space vibe.

Which is something far removed from Déneigeuse. Pure dead-eyed electronica etched to wax. This is zonal, like whistling through a tunnel at high speed. And at the end of that very tunnel is U4A. Here, Gowdy explores the kind of dark frontiers Rafael Anton Irisarri dragged us to under his The Sight Below moniker. Hypnotic, textured and immersive, this is the sound of solitude. Lock the door, turn off the lights, and indulge.

Meanwhile, the skinny bleeps and motorik chug of Vidisions is inspired by the high priest himself, Wolfgang Voigt. Like the preceding moments of Miracles, Gowdy doesn’t get too bogged down in reverence, though, seamlessly moving onto the next landscape.

Nestled in the fissures of uncertainty, Clipse is the come down moment on Miracles. Either that or a passage for Gowdy’s audience to catch their breath for the final frontier.

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Enter Transcend II. The rightful closing encounter where Gowdy carves out a beautiful wash of sounds where images and colours supersede everything else. As the title of his previous offering suggests, Gowdy is very much immersed in this idea, and Transcend II sees him excavating to the depths and finding the core.

It’s a fitting end to Miracles. A detailed sonic journal  of last decade across the landscapes of electronica and experimentalism. This isn’t some faux best-of compilation, however. With luscious production, meticulous layers and glittery textures, Miracles sees T. Gowdy emerge as one of the most agile technicians in this space. While it may not reach the audience it deserves, make no mistake; this will go down as one of the most underrated electronic albums of 2022.  

Miracles is out now via Constellation Records. Purchase from Bandcamp.