Benjamin Ian Powell has been recording music since 1998. Influenced by nature and maths, his music is computer based combining field recordings with real and virtual instruments. As Llyn Y Cwn he has an extensive back catalogue of dark ambient/environmental soundscapes and atmospheres from above and below the ocean. His Deliquescent Crystals AKA was derived from Ballard’s The Crystal World.
“In my day job I am an instrumentation technician making oceanographic measurements onboard scientific research vessels”, says Ben.
“I have been to the Arctic ocean 4 times. I make most of my music on a laptop with just a pair of headphones, I need this portability so that I can carry my “studio” in a bag on my shoulder, be that at sea or out in the campervan. I spend a lot of my spare time out in the Welsh countryside in my campervan.
“I grew up listening to Iron Maiden, in the 90s I discovered electronic music via Godflesh through to Warp records. In 1996, I bought a cassette 4 track, drum machine and a guitar FX unit, I would record guitar through a huge reverb, then turn the cassette over and add more reverb in reverse, then repeat – I ended up with something that sounds similar to what I am making today. I am totally self taught and I tend to use effects over studio “know how”.
“I discovered the music of Steve Reich via The Orb – Music for 18 Musicians remains my favourite piece of music and was a big inspiration for this album, I find the evolving patterns and rhythms endlessly fascinating.
“I wanted this debut Deliquescent Crystals album to be hypnotic and meditative, I wanted to combine the ambient elements of Llyn Y Cwn with subtle beats, with less emphasis on field recordings. Whilst writing this album I was listening to Alessandro Cortini, Craven Faults and Autumn of Communion…I think all of these artists are using modular synths, something I’m not capable of doing due to my need for portability, but the modular sound lends itself the Reich’s musical style. I tried to emulate the modular synth sound using a step sequencer and virtual analogue VSTi’s within cubase, I am primarily a guitarist and use that instrument when I get the opportunity to work at home, I’m very influenced by Steve Hillage’s playing.
“I’ve always been fascinated by stone circles and prehistoric megaliths, I have travelled the country searching for these sites using Julian Cope’s book The Modern Antiquarian as a guide. I’m intrigued why these monuments were made and the locations chosen. I’m currently working on a project based on field recordings made at stone circles. Bryn Celli Ddu is my local site, and is the inspiration for this album.
“In the Cthulhu mythos Lovecraft says that the old gods have a close relationship with wild places, particularly stone circles, they are ever-present; ”…lurking at the frontiers of order, in places where the wild power of nature can be felt”. These sites could be described as a portal to the old gods, the place where time turns into space.”