Yawning Balch Slow Time with “A Moment Expanded (A Form Constant)”

What happens when legends of desert and stoner rock get together for a single, 5 hour jam? Yawning Balch answer that question with Volume Two. Yawning Balch unites the iconic Yawning Man with Bob Balch (Fu Manchu, Big Scenic Nowhere). Volume One, released through Heavy Psych Sounds, was also pulled from this same, incredibly prolific jam session. However, its sequel Volume Two will drop on November 3 through the same label, and features the delay-soaked reverse swells of “A Moment Expanded (A Form Constant)”. The band describes the track as reminiscent of Pink Floyd‘s “Obscured by Clouds”, and was the final jam of the Volume One / Volume Two session.

At almost 19 minutes long, the track pairs drummer Bill Stinson’s pounding toms against guitarist Balch and Gary Arce’s delay swells and darting melodies that together create a melancholic, reflective journey. The varying effects used by the guitarists provide an atmosphere that is equal parts cavernous and captivating. Drummer Bill Stinson and bassist Billy Cordell provide a foundation for guitarists Balch and Gary Arce to scaffold into the stratosphere.

As the piece progresses, Cordell establishes a melodic centre upon which Arce and Balch seamlessly conjure counterpoint melodies, eventually leading the guitarists into darker, more dissonant territory. If you’re a fan of instrumental and improvisational music, this single is a masterclass in cohesion and dynamism – it stays within a consistent structure for most of the track, yet evolves and elevates over its lengthy duration, shifting through a myriad of haunting textures and discordant melodic choices that build in pace and intensity.

Yawning Man are staying busy between this collaboration and their recently released Long Walk of the Navajo, from which we premiered “Respiratory Pause”.  You can pre-order Volume Two here, and follow Yawning Man on Facebook and Instagram.