“The Lightning Gallery” is a collaborative effort between Nicholas Maloney, operating under the Blanket Swimming moniker, and Dominic Razlaff, aka, DR.

Blanket Swimming/Nicholas Maloney is a sound artist, multi-instrumentalist, performer, and recording engineer from Jackson, Mississippi. Working primarily in the areas of drone, ambient, musique concrète, and electroacoustic improvisation, Nicholas creates personal, evocative recordings, while at the same time offering a pallet of sound that can be used to practice the rewarding act of deep listening. He looks to challenge the listeners’ focus and perception of sound. Much of his work explores the textural nature of sound within a framework of progressing and evolving compositions.

Dominic Razlaff (aka DR), born 1982, is a sound artist from Braunschweig, Germany. He uses synthesizers, acoustic instruments (Ukulele & Cavaquinho), field recordings, tape loops & granular synthesis to create melancholy ambient/drone soundscapes.

Nicholas first became aware of the work of DR in 2018 when both of the artists released cassettes through the Vermont-based tape label, Histamine Tapes. In 2019, the two went to become label mates on Macedonian ambient label, Post-Global Recordings. Nicholas became increasingly captivated by DR’s prolific body of work and eventually reached out to collaborate with a vision in mind to blend DR’s extended textural studies and melancholic drones with the swirling, melodic sound pallets and manipulated field recordings that Blanket Swimming is known for. Two full-length albums resulted from this collaboration, the second of which is presented to you here as a first release for both of the artists on Mahorka.

“The Lightning Gallery” is a 50/50 collaborative effort from both artists, created simultaneously in their respective hometowns through a process of re-manipulation, processing, degradation, rearrangement, additional layering, and evolution of 3&3 pieces of sonic material from the artists. The six pieces on the record are a drifting journey into unfamiliar landscapes that feel like home. The sound is always present, arriving, yet in a constant state of shifting and unfolding into limitless depth and openness. The sounds map out an illusionary, dimly lit gallery. Flashes of memories drift in and out as still life paintings take on new forms with each glance.

We hope these extended, sonic programmes may allow you to take a step back from whatever it is you may be caught up in and to enjoy a moment of stillness, repose.

released April 4, 2020

Written and produced by Blanket Swimming & DR

Mastered by Dominic Razlaff

Cover artwork photo by: Ivan Ivanov a.k.a. posledenzalez