Sacred Geometry is the sound of symmetry and balance. Olan Mill (Alex Smalley) continues to sweep listeners off their feet with his gravity-defying, open-wide drones, which are both beautiful to gaze upon and deep enough to hold lasting substance. This is a place of protection and safety. His experiences with yoga and plant medicine brought him into this sanctuary. Over time, he began to see the ‘mathematical elegance of nature’.
Sacred Geometry is a ‘pure’ sound; the natural world turned ambient. Smalley wished to mirror these geometric forms through sound, and the album is exceptionally well-balanced because of it, overflowing with tranquil, watery drones. The sound of running water, of gongs and easy chimes and birdsong, indicate ripe health: nature, body, and spirit are all affected, and instead of falling into the clichéd sounds of meditative ambient music, Smalley manages to find original, cohesive ways to insert them, gifting textures a pine-scented sound. And the golden flow of the record shouldn’t really come as a surprise, because Smalley’s worked in the field of music therapy, too. The record is one of wellbeing and self-love, the feeling of being centred and connected to a deeper part of yourself while the outside world dissipates and dissolves, trickling away like rain on a window.
Sacred Geometry features a live performance from the 2018 Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, Holland. Voice, guitar, synthesizer, and field recordings all melt into the meditation, while the second half features a range of acoustic sounds which are toned-up with harder electronic edges. The geometry is apparent in the music, as note-reversals overlap and blend into warm, circular drones, creating breathe-easy, symmetrical music. As Smalley says, ‘closer consideration for the mysteries of consciousness has led the music to border on the spiritual’, and, intentional or not, the music seems to drift this way, gracing invisible planes and touching upon higher levels. Sacred Geometry is music for closed eyes and open hearts.