'A Random Sequence of Events'
f5point6
See Blue Audio SBA 054

1. Flowing with the Phagocytes
2. Endogenesis
3. I Never Got to Say
4. Grey Clouds over Ramsgate
5. Phase Eleven
6. Prelude to the Inevitable
7. And In Came Eddy
8. Un momento pensieroso
9. To Illustrate Her with Sound
10. Midnight Carousel
11. A Random Sequence of Events

Release date: 20 September 2024

lnk.to/SBA054

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

For the third and final instalment in a series of f5point6 releases, multidisciplinary artist R.Cleveland Aaron presents a new full-length album, 'A Random Sequence of Events'. It also represents another side of his musical personality and while radically different in many aspects from the other two releases in this trilogy – 'A World Within Our World' and 'Mutual Expression' in collaboration with Rhombus Index – a line of continuity remains. As the fifty-fourth release on See Blue Audio and the eleventh from f5point6, it's also a timely reminder that, at his core, R.Cleveland Aaron is a visual artist, so as a producer of music, his aim is to create visual sounds. Reflecting their symbiotic relationship, a new solo album from Rhombus Index, ‘hycean’, will also be released on the same day.

There's a clear statement of intent behind this new album: at this stage in his career, Cleveland felt compelled to reveal more of his musical palate. As the title of the second track, 'Endogenesis' – meaning biological growth from within – suggests, the music comes from his imagination, originating from within his conscious and unconscious mind. On previous releases, the approach has always been to express opposing forces, almost like symbiosis, and apply this to a single genre throughout the project. With 'A Random Sequence of Events', however, Cleveland chose to challenge himself and delve into these forces across a mixture of genres. Followers of f5point6 will already know that his sound is all about light and shadow, colour and contrast, and the juxtaposition of ideas – another reflection of his work as a photographer and video artist.

This process is taken to another level on 'A Random Sequence of Events', and it can be considered as the first true f5point6 artist album. Work began in February 2023 with 'Phase Eleven'. Experimenting with looser arrangements but also intricate patterns, it became a welcome opportunity for Cleveland to tap into his jazz roots. Serendipitously, the more experimental title track is also the eleventh track on the eleventh f5point6 release on See Blue Audio.

The last track made for the album was 'Un momento pensieroso' – translated from the Italian as "a moment of reflection or a pensive moment" – in May 2024. This follows on from 'And in Came Eddy' featuring trumpet playing from Eddy Gray-Aragoneses, which is significant in another respect as it was Cleveland's first experience of recording a live instrument. The results are as elegant as they are almost celestial in quality.

Another departure from previous releases is the absence of field recordings; instead, Cleveland opted to explore and utilise a wide variety of plugins. The beatless aesthetic of See Blue Audio is also heard on tracks like 'Flowing with the Phagocytes' and 'Grey Clouds Over Ramsgate'.

Is this album really a random sequence of events or a reflection of the underlying patterns of the universe? The artist makes no claim to have the answer, but he poses the question through an exploration and personal interpretation of jazz, Detroit techno and ambient electronica set against the backdrop of a cinematic musical landscape. As a listening experience, ‘A Random Sequence of Events’ is as dynamic as it is immersive. Like the drifting sands of an endless desert, or calm water lapping against the shores of the deepest lake, this is music to lose yourself in, suspend time and pause for thought.

Artwork and photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

A Random Sequence of Events

'A Random Sequence of Events' (preview) – f5point6 (See Blue Audio SBA #054)