Loscil: Lake Fire

The environment has always played a crucial role throughout the loscil discography. The ominous journey of Vancouver-based producer Scott Morgan, the artwork from many of his releases, featuring images of icebergs, open skies and the ocean, and it’s this space where he has carved out a unique voice among ambient music’s touchstones.

As hinted via the artwork on his latest release, Lake Fire – which consists of a photo taken from Morgan’s road-trip into mountains that were surrounded by wildfires and dense smoke – he uses a sense of irony this time around (forest fires often named after regional lakes). The greyscale drone on Candling – one of the many highlights on Lake Fire – evoking this imagery, as piano creeps up through the mix.

Following last year’s self-released Umbel, as well as two collaborations alongside kindred spirit, Lawrence English (last year’s Chroma and 2023’s Colours of Air), on Lake Fire Morgan produces something captivating. Inspired by the strain within the cycle of destruction and rejuvenation, creatively, Lake Fire was conceived from the same rubble – a disjointed process which saw most of the original material from the album deserted, before being revisited and remixed.

It’s this approach that not only sees Morgan release his most ambitious work to date, but also his most majestic. The production, glacial-like as the album ebbs and flows with quintessential loscil passages with striking new elements of techno and deep-listening undulating through the mix.

There’s no better example than opening track, Arrhythmia – a subtle, rhythmic pulse, with smoky textures barrelling through the sound world of early Kompakt at altitude. It’s one of loscil’s finest moments birthed from the vaults. Elsewhere, Bell Flame and Silos sees Morgan adopting free-form ambience whereby the loscil experience hasn’t sounded so dynamic. The producer reaches more transcendental moments via the rattling bass and undercurrents of synth on Doux, a manifestation completely untethered.

Spark sees Morgan shape shifting once again, with something that bridges the gap between techno and pop music. As strange as it sounds, the track’s crisp production, unlocking the gates between both worlds.

Featuring James Meager on double bass, Ash Clouds is the only composition that was not originally discarded. Its dark, cavernous drone giving the piece a different feel from the rest of Lake Fire. Unlike Flutter, which is peak loscil. A dopamine rush of soft textures and searching dreamscapes that send you off into a peaceful lull.

In all it’s ebb and flow, it’s fitting that Lake Fire finishes with the eponymous track. A deep drone opening a chasm that swallows you up in dread, the composition is indicative of its namesake, recalling the same cycle of annihilation and restoration that inspired these recordings. And while tension will always be the focal point to these eventualities, whether it be the environment, politics or life itself, Morgan connects all three, and whilst reaching and wide to do so, Lake Fire still remains beautifully cohesive and assuredly loscil.

Lake Fire is out now via kranky. Purchase from Bandcamp.