When Hush Falls’ EP Migration, on first listen, sounds like daybreak liquified into record format – which is topical, perhaps considering the first track is titled Morning Ascent. Described as “a four-part experimental ambient work inspired by migratory birds and the inner landscapes of human transition”, the record is built around field recordings captured across Assam and selected locations in India. The EP is meant to unfold as a single continuous listening experience, with each piece reflecting a phase of change: departure, uncertainty, refuge and renewal. For the most part, the ambient textures which combine strings and electronic music wash over you gently, in a way that is not overwhelming, and mostly draw you in. A lot of what Assam-based artist Rajarshi Boro does is capture nature for you, and perhaps amplify it sonically to hammer down what his impression of time spent in the realms of greener, clearer worlds is.
The EP remains minimal, for the most part, swinging between some arrangements of the flute, guitar licks and the santoor, interspersed with electronic soundbeds and droning, and wonderful field recordings that add to its sense of naturality. A very fun, noticeable feature is Boro’s usage of different kinds of birdsong as instrument, in keeping with the theme of Migration – because contrasted with the sounds of water and wind, the cooing and calling adds a radical sense of living, grounding it in a kind of reality which would have otherwise made the record sound a little too distant, otherworldly.
Personally, the extracts of sound on the EP that are bereft of the usage of the santoor have more gravitas. While the santoor and the flute assemblages are meant to be homages to pioneers Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia, their presence sometimes makes the record unnecessarily ornate – taking away from its inherent simplicity of sound. This is not an indictment, one understands the artist’s intent in referencing, and invoking a certain kind of cultural and personal memory attached to the same, however, Boro has a grip on something that is more valuable to him in terms of creating impact. A number of his electronic soundbeds are built in a way that they mimic sounds from more tactile, daily originators of sound – where sections of Close to Shore sound like the heavier scales of a harmonium, and ringing sounds all over resemble those of faraway bells.
What is really admirable about this EP, is that Boro constructs a landscape for you. You are meant to envision rivers, and hills, and rain – you are meant to submerge yourself in his world. In his press release, Boro writes, “Over time, it evolved through a fresh engagement with the early environmental music philosophy of Japanese 𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘺ō 𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘬𝘶, particularly, the subtle immersive atmosphere in Hiroshi Yoshimura’s ambient works.” Parts of Boro’s work reminds me of Yoshimura’s Ice Copy, from the 1982 record Music for Nine Post Cards, and Satoshi Ashikawa’s Still Way album from the same year.
Overall, When Hush Falls’ EP is rich in sound and composition – and it is delightful to hear the pronounced construction of all the layers built into it. Boro knows how to give you a tranquil earth, what he only needs to do next is perhaps, is that he is as strong as his homages.
