This is Victoria Keddie’s debut album, and it comes in a “customized USB artifact.” This is useful, as it has both sound and video enclosed. I really enjoyed the concept of this release: “Each of the album's seven soundscapes derives from the orbiting of space debris as it is tracked in real-time using Keddie's custom built software. Data of proximity, distance, and attitude variance are rendered into sound through analog synthesizers, signal generators, sampler, voice, and more. Modulation of electromagnetic energies, vocal arrangement, distortion, feedback, time latency, and interference contribute to each composition as intentional elements. This is music of both an intimate and planetary exchange. The compositions depict sonic portraits of the interaction between humankind and its embedded position within diverse media ecologies: no longer does humankind participate at will, rather, it is engrossed in technological systems merging the animate with the inanimate in a congealed ‘machinic’ exchange between ‘signal’ and ‘receiver.’” If all of this sounds academic, this is understandable as Keddie has an MA in Museology / Ephemeral Collections from New York University.

Let’s dive into the video first. “The Great Acceleration” was OK, but nothing that really pushes the envelope. According to the stated concept, “This work looks into the media ecology of the late Anthropocene with a focus on technological systems of looking, paired with human ways of seeing, memory, and neurological response.” As someone who has been heavily involved in the Media Ecology Association, I had some high hopes for this, but this was mainly what seemed to be stock footage in three panels. If you are expecting something like “Thus Spoke The Spectacle,” you're in for a disappointment. The music is good though, so let’s get into the music part of this USB drive.

The music itself is quite interesting. We open with “Chamber (40.7128° N, 74.0060° W),” which is heavily processed voice. It’s glitchy, disorienting, and beautiful all at the same time. This is the feeling of being in a funhouse mirror maze. “Interstitial Transmission 1” is a short (30 second) noisy, crackling interlude. “Vates (60.1699° N, 24.9384° E)” is interesting atmospheric work with heavy synth and bits of percussion. There is a lot going on in the track to keep it interesting. This then shifts to a more aggressive, noisier feel, with heavy sawtooth waves and distortion. “Interstitial Transmission 2” is another 30 second spacey and noisy interlude. “Vertigo (34.0522° N, 118.2437° W)” is heavily arpeggiated synth with jarring analog bleeps throughout. I like the way it starts to fall apart at the end. “Aves (60.4518° N, 22.2666° E)” brings in constantly shifting synth drone. The overall effect is rather hypnotic. “Ascending Node (55.6761° N, 12.5683° E)” closes off the album with pulsing drone and a lot of analog chaos. This is like trying to listen to several songs at once.

Overall, if you like it analog as hell, this is going to be up your alley. I like that the production isn't too “clean,” (and I mean this in a good way). There is some randomness here that gives it an improvisational quality that I enjoyed. Well worth checking out. This album weighs in at around 51 minutes.