Species in Bloomington, MN

With each successive release, Brooklyn post-minimalist ensemble
Bing & Ruth
have both refined their approach and reduced their line-up. 2010's
City Lake
was a sprawling, dramatic neo-classical/post-rock work played by nearly a dozen musicians (including two vocalists), and subsequent full-lengths
Tomorrow Was the Golden Age
and
No Home of the Mind
were fluid, focused efforts which endeared the group to ambient music listeners. On 2020's
Species
, composer and leader
David Moore
switches from piano, his usual instrument, to Farfisa organ, recalling the hypnotic keyboard compositions of minimalist icons like
Philip Glass
Terry Riley
. Double bassist
Jeff Ratner
and clarinettist
Jeremy Viner
subtly underscore
Moore
's wavering, cascading organ pulsations, helping to flesh out an instrument beyond its apparent limitations --
has even admitted that he considered the Farfisa to be one-dimensional. Like other
albums,
was thoroughly conceived before the musicians began recording it, yet it has such a river-like flow that it can seem as if it spontaneously poured out of
and his cohorts. This is intentional, as the meditative compositions are meant to evoke a trance state. "Badwater Psalm" creates a calm, pleasant atmosphere, perfect for leaving worries behind and just embracing the moment, and "I Had No Dream" elevates this feeling higher.
switches to an Elka Panther (a combo organ similar to a Farfisa) for "Live Forever," a 13-minute exercise designed for casting off earthly concerns and losing one's self inside. "The Pressure of This Water" stays afloat for ten minutes, but as weightless as it sounds, it's a balancing act that requires much discipline, like all of
's work. ~ Paul Simpson