The serene ambience of an isolated moment has long served as the catalyst for idiosyncratic art; if the great Romantic poets often drew from the natural splendour of their surroundings, then such idylls have just as frequently proven a source of inspiration for the musicians of the world.
In Offworld, the collaborative debut between musicians Kevin Cahill and Graham Costello, just such a record has been forged. A series of instrumental compositions in which the spartan simplicities of rural life are evoked with the subtle sway of reverberant guitars and deftly jazzy drum work, Offworld owes an enormous debut to the surroundings in which it was produced. Recorded in Sanna, the album confidently embodies a form of environmental extremity that few of its listeners are likely to have ever experienced themselves. Reflective of that, it's a patient album one entirely content to proceed at its own curious pace—but, in such ambitions, it's certainly a success. Though a niche concern by nature, Offworld is an album likely to yield much to those listeners sufficiently determined to coax the secrets from its whisper-quiet soundscapes.
Released on vinyl by London's esteemed Gearbox Records, Offworld had been treated to the same meticulous in-house mastering process as all their titles; and, as a result, it sounds nothing short of gorgeous.
The album's warming washes of sound swell with convincing heft, lending the record an auditory weight that its subtlety belies. Though they have remained something of a cult concern throughout their decade—plus existence, Gearbox Records long ago cultivated an ardent following amongst those with an appreciation of remarkably finessed sonics—and, in light of that, Offworld is likely to please long-term fans of the label as much as newcomers. Further to that, the vinyl pressing itself is impeccable; pressed to a heavyweight slab of black wax by Germany's Optimal Media, Gearbox have evidently held the pressing plant to rigorous standards with this release, as evidenced by our copy essentially impeccable copy. We heard not a single audible flaw anywhere across the album's two sides—a fact made all the more impressive considering the quietude of most of the music contained in its grooves.
If sepiatone minimalism is the order of the day throughout Offworld's nine compositions, then it seems only fitting that the release should boast such a simplistic yet potential visual aesthetic. Between the grainy monotone of its cover art and the tasteful presentation of the liner notes and credits insert included within, Offworld is certainly nothing if not an exercise in understatement.
The cover itself is wrought from mid-weight cardstock and is a standard, non-gatefold affair but the matte finish lends it an appealing physicality—however, we would have preferred to have seen the barcode attached to the resealable plastic sleeve in which the release is found, rather than printed directly onto the back cover. Still, the very fact that it is sleeved in a resealable plastic sleeve at all is commendable—as, even in our current age, where the ongoing climate disaster is more obvious than ever, most vinyl releases are still sold in one-use shrinkwrap. Those with a taste for the eerie beauty of jazz-inflected ambient soundscaping will no doubt find much to admire in Cahill & Costello's Offworld and, in its Gearbox Records vinyl release, the album has received a truly commendable physical edition.
