Theory of Abstract Light - Theory of Abstract Light (Cover Artwork)
Staff Pick

Theory of Abstract Light

Theory of Abstract Light (2003)

Odd Halo


This is creepy. I don't really know how to describe this to someone who hasn't listened to it; it would be hard to understand. The Theory of Abstract Light is a one man project that uses feedback, white noise, and the occasional strumming of a guitar to create a really unique atmospheric album

I was really pulled into this from the second I put it into my CD player. Every little sound on here seems to add an element of foreboding, whether it's the creak of a floorboard, breathing, or the pluck of a guitar string. This isn't your average album; in fact, I don't think I've ever heard anything like this before. This is the soundtrack to some horrible nightmare, and the fact that Ben Carr came up with this stuff is somewhat disturbing. But still, I can't help listening. When I listen to an instrumental album or something similar I'm usually in a relaxed state of mind, but when listening to this I can't help but feel on edge and almost nervous.

I've heard countless people state that "this album gives me chills", but I've always dismissed that kind of thing as a lame, overused phrase that means pretty much nothing anymore. With all that considered, this stuff gives me chills. While each individual track is titled, they all fit together to form an episodic chain and you couldn't simply say "Yeah, I like track 5, I'm going to put that on my next mix tape," because it wouldn't make sense by itself. Once these "songs" had run their course I just sat staring blankly for a minute until I finally shook the cobwebs out of my head and came back to reality. To a lot of people this is just going to sound like random noises and sounds and they will just walk away confused or annoyed. However, if you're like me you'll find yourself completely absorbed.