‘Reinhout’s “Distant Ground” is an atmospheric opening to an upcoming album which centres on memory, transition and the things we carry with us as our lives change. The song conveys that specific sensation of moving on while at the same time remaining emotionally tied to a place behind you, without making everything explicit. Rather, it lets the feeling build up gradually through slowly developing melodic phrases, gentle rhythms and warm, organic sounds. Although there is a sense of melancholy in “Distant Ground”, it never becomes entirely sorrowful; beneath the reflective mood there is a quiet sense of hope and forward movement.
The track was entirely produced by Reinhout in his home studio in Norway and has a structure that is more influenced by atmosphere than by conventional song form. It obtains much of its warmth from resampled analogue synths and soft synthesizer sounds, while the rhythmic pulse is achieved through the use of carefully programmed drum machines. Instead of depending on dramatic drops or major transitions, Reinhout includes space in the arrangement and allows subtle changes in texture to guide the listener through the piece. This approach gives “Distant Ground” an intimate character, even though the layered electronic textures make the world it creates seem much larger than its simple style would indicate.
The single ‘Distant Ground’ gives a clear indication of the emotional tone that will be found on the forthcoming album. Reinhout refers to his music as lying somewhere between melancholy and hope, and it is this balance which is central to the song: one looks back on one’s origins yet at the same time realizes that one has already reached a new destination. Taking inspiration from the atmospheric electronic styles of artists like Christian Løffler, Bonobo, Kiasmos and Nils Frahm, Reinhout has produced a reflective piece without it becoming static. The album, What Remains, will be released in November, and this opening track leaves the listener with the impression that some things may be left behind, but they need not disappear.
“Reinhout turns the distance between where we were and where we are into sound, finding quiet hope inside the melancholy of moving on.”