Element Kuuda: Phase Boundary CS

The idea of Phase Boundary started during the intense, record-breaking snowstorms of winter 2025 in Montreal. Being snowed in might create the perfect scenario to stay inside and sit in a studio filled with warm machines, but Christian kept his promise of visiting the St. Lawrence River almost daily, to say hi to his usual sit-and-stare summer spots. During these promenades, the influence of the quiet and peculiar sonority of winter led to sessions of field recording, capturing the subtle void of the cold wind and the crisp sounds of water caught in a struggle between solid and liquid states. This soundscape became the foundation of the album, before his usual arsenal of synthesizers and DIY modules joined in. The result is a well-defined album, echoing some of his previous work on Maluugahn or Harbour of the North Wind, but under a somewhat more minimalistic, quieter vision.

A year later, winter is back in Montreal, Phase Boundary is complete, and listening to it can feel like embarking on a four-chapter winter travel. The distance to cross is carefully mapped and well defined (Isthmus) / the tools (our instinct, knowledge, and methods) are lined up and used to follow the arduous path (Compendium) / until we lose our steps, absorbed into a self-reflexive icy void (Inwards), before emerging in softer landscapes, hardened but feeling lighter (Sublimation). - Frédérique Duval