` Jesusfreakhideout.com: Silent Music, "Taciturn Headphonetics" Review
Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Music Spotlight Review

Silent Music, 'Taciturn Headphonetics'
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE


Silent Music
Taciturn Headphonetics

Street Date: February 2, 2024
Style: Electronic
Buy It: Bandcamp



Graham Wall is a Canadian electronic artist who has been behind several projects since 2008, but more recently is the man behind Silent Music. His most recent offering is the quirky 14-track Taciturn Headphonetics. From the title to the cover art to the tracklist, it's easy to see that Wall is delivering an instrumental project to stoke the flames of the imagination. In fact, the opening track, "Soren's Cinnamon," features the only words spoken on the album and gives the thesis for the project: "Each of us is an intellectual cosmos."

The way Wall conveys that imagination electronically is less through melody and more through beats surrounded by repetitive hooks. At times, these can feel too repetitive, but most of the tracks move along at a good pace. Only a couple tracks (the aforementioned "Soren's Cinnamon" and "How It's Made") are more white noise than melodic background music. Some songs lean more heavily on melody, like "Submariner" or "Railroad Town," and these are the standouts from the bunch. The experimentation on the longer tracks is also more impressive, like making the snare on "Table Tennis" mimic the back and forth of someone playing the game or using the high hat to mimic a steam engine on "Railroad Town." The shorter tracks that run under 2 minutes feel more like filler or half-formed demos than fully completed works. Still, the overall effect of the album makes for mostly pleasant background listening.

The challenge of an instrumental record is being able to convey a theme or concept without the use of lyrics. At first, Taciturn Headphonetics might seem like a random spewing of ideas into a synthesizer. But repeated listens gives one the sense of playfulness and imagination. A track like "Table Tennis" obviously references a game, while other tunes feel like video game soundtracks ("The Milve Raceway" or "Tony Hawk's Snowskater," for example). Songs like "I Only See Hot Air Balloons in the Morning," "Dragon Sunnies," or "Fireworks Galaxy" add to the childlike wonder of the album. It's that awe and wonder that seems to be Wall's biggest goal here and, for the most part, he achieves that.

While Taciturn Headphonetics may not be the catchiest electronic album of the year, it serves a good purpose in what it tries to instill in the listener. It likely won't be a record to put on and pay close attention to, but it can work as something creative to have on in the background. If you're looking for a project to help fan the fires of wonder in your heart, Silent Music has an offering that may help.

- Review date: 2/5/24, written by John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!






JFH Indie Spotlight Review . Record Label: None
. Album length: 14 tracks
. Street Date: February 2, 2024
. Buy It: Bandcamp

  1. Soren's Cinnamon (2:02)
  2. Table Tennis (3:48)
  3. I Only See Hot-Air Balloons in the Morning (3:15)
  4. Supervenience (1:55)
  5. How It's Made (1:53)
  6. Cosmo's Space Derby (0:57)
  7. Submariner (4:15)
  8. The Milve Raceway (2:25)
  9. History, as Understood from Its Endpoint (2:49)
  10. Dragon Sunnies (1:38)
  11. Rainier Dog With the Yellow Hat (4:27)
  12. Tony Hawk's Snowskater (2:24)
  13. Railroad Town (3:07)
  14. Fireworks Galaxy (2:27)

 

 

 

go to main Indie review page
go to Indie Review Index

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

Search JFH



This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Get all of JFH's indie compilation now totally free!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images