Inside Views - Circulatory System

Circulatory System, Will Cullen Hart's first post-Olivia Tremor Control project, was a dense, dense record. Long known for his complex walls of sound, Hart plunged full-on into the ProTools ether, often layering well over 50 tracks of sound for each song. The result, oddly enough, was so cohesive -- and sometimes flat sounding -- that it was often hard to tell what went into a specific song. The album had a depth that was often exceedingly subtle, especially without headphones. Inside Views, released on Hart's own Cloud Recordings label, presents Circulatory System anew. It's not a remix project in the traditional sense -- as with the OTC's Black Foliage, Hart prefers the term "reanimation." So that's what it is. The album rearranges much of the material, drawing out different elements, cutting up tracks, and reordering the songs. Surprisingly, Inside Views sounds deeper and more varied than Circulatory System itself did. Perhaps it is a more satisfying listen because the listener has to do less work to untangle the rich layers of toy pianos, kazoos, tambourines, cellos, bird sounds, and other assorted noises. There is a more conscious attempt at creating a varied sonic picture. In general, the music feels less dark than its predecessor, as one becomes aware of the myriad sounds that went into the making of the disc. Hart has said that Inside Views is meant to be played in shuffle mode -- quite the opposite of his usual concept album song meldings -- though the disc flows perfectly fine by itself. Hart is a master sculptor, and Inside Views is a cool glimpse into his workshop. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide