Recorded in an isolated shed in rural Efland, NC in the blustery autumn of 2012, Blacked Out Passages is a lean, concise summarizing of the various strands of Lost Trail’s past themes: the impinging upon nature by man’s technology and misdeeds, the alienation of modern consumerism, the fervent, passionate power of belief systems, and the thin veil between this world and others lurking beneath the veneer. At turns serene, disorienting, discordant and haunting, Blacked Out Passages is a stirring statement of crumbling ambience at the dawning Dark Ages.
Lost Trail is the ambient/drone/experimental noise project of husband-and-wife duo Zachary Corsa and Denny Wilkerson Corsa. Based in the mysterious small city of Burlington, North Carolina, The Corsas utilize lo-fi and obsolete recording technology in their music, aiming to capture a sense of atmosphere and landscape in both man-made and wild environments. Working primarily with second-hand analog equipment, their work is a vivid patchwork collage of damaged cassette loops, field recordings, primitive percussion, layers of ethereal guitar drones, wailing feedback and static, and skeletal traces of antique piano and organ. The themes of Lost Trail’s work often include a sense of the otherworldly or supernatural, as well as strong ties to nature, human calamity, and a fascination with the concept of passionate belief systems. The songs themselves are raw, broken, minimalist, imperfect, flawed, emotionally resounding and chaotically unpredictable, all composed in the spirit of reckless, heedless improvisation.
Lost Trail is often a multimedia endeavor, and both members contribute poetry, photography and experimental film to their material, all while maintaining a fiercely self- sufficient DIY aesthetic. The Corsas have toured the bulk of mainland America, released scores of cassette and CD editions on numerous national and international labels, and have had their work acclaimed by publications such as Pitchfork, The Wire, Tiny Mix Tapes, Decoder, Heathen Harvest, and many more.