zakè’s deep attachment to the seasons of the Midwest, along with his intuitive approach to sound creation, has led to a deep and varied body of analog ambient drone recordings across the past ten years. Many of his albums take on the forms and colors of the space in which they are heard, but others convey something more fleeting and indefinable, far beyond the five senses. Cantus for Winter in Six Parts creates a space for comfort, contemplation, nostalgia, and longing; a moment of stillness that honors the cycle of all things, wandering fallow landscapes while dreaming of their renewal.

“Part One” opens with soft, analog hiss and smoky, legato cello, melting into calm waves of drone that immediately envelop the listener. The shifts are subdued, as barely-there field recordings haunt the backdrop, filling the negative space with spectral reverberations. The seamless transition into “Part Two” is marked only by a tectonic rumble, as snow falls on a thin roof and dry logs crackle, creating a hushed atmosphere of sublime calm through deep resonances and a sustained wisp of pianissimo violin. In moments like these, one understands the breadth of zakè’s influences, especially heavy rock and metal, where extreme restraint can often hit with greater effect and catharsis than any amount of wild abandon.

On “Part Four”, wind begins to batter the cladding, a rippling gasp beneath rich, orchestral tones. A moment of pure, centered meditation follows, stretching out to infinity as the first side concludes its transportive arc. “Part Five” is a miniature that nevertheless contains its own yawning universe of iridescent glow for a brief and spellbinding moment, emptying the lungs before the 19-minute finale. As the central loop of “Part Six” is established, each slow-burning pass brings a minuscule build in intensity, and a delicate shift in layering. These variations embody the ineffable magic of winter nights that offer pure solitude amid accumulating ice, and by capturing this rare feeling so vividly, zakè finds endlessness in the momentary.