A steady arpeggio initiates Always Ending, punctuated by delayed notes like raindrops on a pond
that ripple and fade as the forward momentum of “Slip Away” continues unabated,
constant. It’s a funny way to think about concept of Always Ending, these blips that appear and disappear throughout the
unending chug of progress. Maybe their exit is the intended focus, but if it’s
a repeated exit, then there’s a repeated entrance, yes? Always Ending thus introduces itself in cycle, a vision of finality
through the lens of continuous generation.
And it tricks you into the zone. That arpeggio
becomes a soothing foundation on which to build (or to rest), but you gotta let
it do its thing after you notice it so clearly at first. And that’s what
Tyresta, aka Nick Turner, is good at: creating instantly recognizable features
and allowing them to metamorphose throughout their runtimes into immersive
experiences. As such, Always Ending almost
feels like a long fadeout, each track coming across as the beginning of the
denouement, ready to let its identity blend with the mist and fade into
nothingness. But not before making a mark first, oh no! By the time the
damaged-pixel synth of the title track is ready to buoy us into the beyond at
tape’s end, Always Ending has already
impressed itself upon your psyche and your soul, and it sticks with you as a
calming presence. It’s in your mind, ready to start up that ending all over
again, whenever you want it to.