The ambient, disconnected work of minimalist composer K. Leimer exists on the fringes of experimental music. And yet, the Hawaii-based musician has nearly 10 albums to his credit. His latest release, Lesser Epitomes, is a 70-minute collection of 21 short and closely related pieces organized into three suites.
The five-part “Nonadaptive Layers” wraps listeners in waves of electronic film-music ambience and drone, while “Nine Approximations” unites somber chamber-music pieces that each last about three minutes. The closing suite, “Naïve Music,” is dark and ominous, complete with bells tolling. Call it chill tunes for the afflicted.
Similarities in the aleatoric compositions, played passively or actively, make for music that works either in the original running order or on random shuffle. Fragile and minimal packaging reflects the music, and Leimer's brief but informative liners may be enough to convince new listeners to explore the man's back-catalog.
