Ben Seretan sits down every week and puts together five minutes or so of music. Or maybe writing. Then he sends it out. I'm not on his list, but I might be convinced to join. He works in the realm of loops and beats (actual acoustic beats on a drum set), and his pieces sound a lot like you might expect, given the title of this set. Ethereal, searching, drone and dreamlike.

Ben Seretan Astral Projecting Into Flavortown: My Big Break '24 (self-released)

Some of these actually sound like songs (often the ones with drums in them). Some are more abstract meanderings. Most of the time, though, even the most diffuse work resolves. Not completely, mind you, but on the terms of the composition.

This sort of music always hits me better in the winter. It's probably because I'm more likely to be reading than driving (and this is definitely not music for the road), but I might simply be more patient when it gets dark earlier. I dunno. Feel free to psychoanalyze on your own time.

I like the drift of Seretan's thoughts. He doesn't go for the grand statement, but rather simple declarations and modest musings. Some pieces reach deep into space, and others are much more discretely part of this world. His range is impressive, and his feel is impeccable. Bewondering, to be sure.

Jon Worley