Arising from largely improvised performances that accompanied a cosmic expedition at San Antonio’s Scobee Planetarium, The Spiral Arm ranks not as the Austin ambient trio’s spaciest effort – that’s 2016 debut Original Soundtrack – but as their most beautiful. Their fourth album’s title cut rides eight piercing synthesizer notes, over which singer/percussionist Linda Beecroft whispers about sights seen in the nebulae as the dual synths of Michael Gerner and Christian Havins layer in lush and grandiose. “Vacker,” sung in Beecroft’s native Swedish, wafts a dubbed-out global groove, while the beatless hypnosis of “I Fågelns Sång” lands melodically Eastern. The enchanting “Silk Rain,” with its stereo-panned blips and triumphant keys, epitomizes this satellite transmitting the celestial unto an organic world. (Sun. 10, Mohawk, 7:45pm)
This article appears in November 8 • 2019.