Speculative Memories

Description

Yair Elazar Glotman is a Berlin based composer and experimental sound artist. Having trained in classical double bass and electroacoustic composition, he uses these traditions in combination with improvisation, with particular focus on analogue processes, to create textural and spatial works. In recent years, Glotman has been known for his notable pieces in film and media composition, working closely with influentential late composer Jóhann Jóhannsonn on acclaimed titles such Mandy (2018) and Last and First Men (2019), which he co-composed and produced the score. . Apart from his work in film and media, Glotman is a celebrated recording artist in his own right, venturing into dark corners of ambient drone and post-classical with acclaimed albums such as his 2020 album Emanate via Fat Cat’s imprint 13070, 2017 album Negative Chambers with close collaborator Mats Erlandsson released via Miasmah Recordings, and his solo album Études released in 2015 via Subtext, receiving him high acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, Guardian, BBC 6 Music, The Quietus, Uncut, Electronic Sound and more. Glotman now returns with his most personal and unique album yet with Speculative Memories due out October 27th via SA Recordings. The release of this album comes alongside a Spitfire Audio sample library.

Yair’s upcoming album is an introspective dive into memory. Stemming from his childhood memories, the album is the most personal piece Glotman has ever composed. The project could be pinpointed back to exploring specific memories from his time growing up in a small village in the Galilee, from the perspective of a now Berlin citizen. However, this idea grew into something much more abstract, traversing into the notion that memories are a dynamic, ever evolving piece of material, shaped by time and perspective. Glotman explains, “Memories are elastic forms, so that focusing only on its narrative content can miss the point, which changes over time and perspective. The memory’s essence can shift when you look at it again.” Rather than looking back at a memory by a series of events, Yair began to immerse himself in the abstract feelings attached to these moments, triggered by elements such as taste, smell and sound with some of these moods being dictated by both the present and the past, influenced by time, perspective, relationships and lived experiences. From this idea, Glotman began to create entire worlds, moods and mindsets for each individual track, made from one small moment in time.

Yair wanted to step away from traditional methods of composition, particularly with his collaborators. As this was such a personal venture, rather than focusing on the ‘what’, he honed in on the ‘who’; Yair based the projects on the specific creative voices he wanted to work with rather than just the instruments he felt could work best. “It was important to me to work with people I’m close with and create together with them. focusing on the people lead to really interesting instrume