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VOSTOK by Craig Padilla (2002)

Padilla is a northern California-based electronic musician and performer with a preference for older analog synthesizers.  Vostok is a relaxing, 51-minute single-track ambient instrumental.  As with Antarctica, nothing much changes for long stretches of time, but also nothing stays the same.  According to the liner notes, “Inspired by the mysterious depths of the hidden lake under Antarctica, VOSTOK is a haunting voyage into an unknown space filled with wonder and awe.  Padilla masterfully crafts a subterranean soundworld, transforming electronic instruments into subtle abstract beauty that feels no less organic than inorganic, in this visionary longform ambient work.”  Padilla’s own liner notes describe it as “music realized in contemplation of the inner stillness reflected by a distant, sub-glacial lake beneath Antarctica.  Jewel-like and crystalline, yet dark, cool, and ancient the muse of Lake Vostok flowed through me like a resonant glacier.  Now this unique, vibrant soundscape flows to you.  I hope that you find the vision and sonic space as riveting and transforming as I have.  Peace.” Craig told us in 2007 that “I hope you are enjoying the musical atmosphere.  I remember when I recorded that piece:  I had just read a fascinating article in WIRED Magazine about how satellites had discovered an unknown lake underneath a lot of ice.  According to the article, once it was discovered, scientists theorized that the hidden lake may contain many keys to the origins of life since the water was uncontaminated by our atmosphere for millions of years!  So, they began to drill a hole down to the water when they suddenly realized that by doing so they’d expose the lake to our atmosphere, and so they stopped the drilling by a few meters of hitting the water! It was a very interesting story, to say the least!  (Also during that time, I had been listening to some long-form ambient music that was nice, but not too terribly interesting from a musical/long song stand-point.)  So, a day or so later, I went into the recording studio to create a long-form ambient piece that could be heard during sleep, but it also had to hold the interest of the listener.  In other words, I didn’t want to create “wallpaper ambient music”.  I wanted to make music that wasn’t distracting so somebody could study or sleep with it on in the background, and at the same time it had to be interesting so that somebody could sit down and just listen to it from beginning to end and enjoy the experience (and I think I was quite successful!) I recorded the track live in one take!  The light wind sounds and heavy slow-moving “glacial bass lines” made me think of the article I had just read; and the rest is history!  This track was unlike anything I was recording at the time, but I really enjoyed it and still do!  (And thankfully, so does my wife!)”  Spotted Peccary Music SPM-1401; www.craigpadilla.com

 

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