Firmament III

Without any discernible melody or rhythm, Firmament III continues Main's evolution beyond music into something much more like sound design. The nice thing about this kind of sonic experimentation is that it engages the listener so completely, offering opportunities alien to pop music. At once, the spooky guitar echoes and synth effects draw attention to the space between noises and the details of each sound. All of this coaxes the mind to create its own images and story lines, as the lack of standard musical influences creates a narrative vacuum. The completely abstract nature of the Firmament series makes it difficult to rate the issues individually using rational, quantitative criteria. Let's just say that all of this stuff is really out there, but not beyond the reach and appreciation of your average art and experimental rock fan.