I've been a fan of R4 since the late 1990s when Fusion Audio began the first time. I'm glad to see he's back and this disc shows that he's still in fine form. R4 is the work of Barry D. Scheffel, who is also the driving force behind Fusion Audio Recordings. He hails from southwest Ohio, which knows a little something about thunderstorms and this disc demonstrates this knowledge. All three of these tracks were created using source material from a rainstorm. I really enjoy field recording based work, so let's dive In and see what the weather is like.

“Rainmaker I” is heavy. Oppressively heavy. You have only the slightest inkling that this came from natural sources as Scheffel lays down massive oppressive drone. This has more in common with a locomotive running through a tunnel than it does rain. “Rainmaker II” is a bit more peaceful. You can hear birds singing and gentle rain. Still, there’s heavy bass drone that takes over as the track progresses. This serves as a nice counterpoint to “Rainmaker I.” “Rainmaker III” brings the thunder. You can almost see this as a combination of the two approaches with the natural sounds being heavily processed and layered to make an interesting composition.

The liner notes state that Scheffel “operates somewhere in between the ambient and noise spaces on the periphery of music,” and this disc is evidence of his ability to walk that line. Overall, this is an excellent disc for fans of field recordings but also for those that might enjoy a little processing with their nature. Very well done and highly recommended. This disc weighs in at around 21 minutes and is limited to 42 copies.