A Closer Listen
As another season begins, we open a new bottle of wine and place a new record on the turntable. The music lands alongside the scent: electronic tones, pulsing and pure; cinnamon and plum, with a light undercurrent of pepper. The sensual combination is completed by the colors: moss green vinyl and deep burgundy Pinot Noir, the latest pairing from Asheville, North Carolina’s Ceremony of Seasons and VISUALS Wine. And now as we listen, the taste: full bodied, rich, surprisingly smooth, not even a touch of acidity; the plum notes hold up as the spices hide, revealing themselves only in the subtle aftertaste. By now, the music has turned ambient; we were concentrating so much on the wine that we missed the transition, as smooth as the segue between tastes.
This is what we hope summer may look, smell, taste, sound and feel like. Ritual of Senses is the perfect series name. On the first day of summer, we can project an idyllic three months: the sun shines, the rain falls, the grass doesn’t burn. We find our way to water, whether river, lake or sea. The titles of the side-long pieces express yearning: “The Path Towards the River,” “The Far Shore Lay Deeply Shadowed,” as if to imply something incomplete, a story not yet told. In Asheville, summer is in its most pleasant stage, with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s. The name of the wine, Reach Out Like Tendrils, implies either beast or root, depending on the reader. The music touches on the former, especially in the early drones of Side B, but settles on the latter.
Thom Nguyen is a musical chameleon. Perhaps best known as MANAS’ “frenetic” percussionist, on The Summer Passed in Monotone he turns his attention to pulses and textures, producing a unified flavor to mirror the wine. One sinks into the music and the glass, the gauzy feeling of the alcohol matched by the ritualistic nature of “Shore”s mid-section, the great outdoors transformed into summer’s temple. When percussion finally emerges at the end of the album, it’s as if Nguyen has merged his worlds, the season reaching full ripeness, the first glass spreading through the bloodstream, warm and enveloping. Dare we hope for a summer such as this?
With this album, Ceremony of Seasons has come full cycle. And yet, it has become a ritual, this solstice celebration, prompting one to focus, to find new meaning and beauty in each season. The internal changes are reminders that no season is single-minded; each shifts beneath the changing cycles of the moon. Ephemerality is not only for the passing of seasons, but of days, thoughts, loves. The most encouraging sentence in the press release is the last: there is much more to come.
A correspondence with Tim Gormley, co-founder and co-owner of Burial Beer and VISUALS Wine, was so positive, informative and celebratory that we have expanded it into an interview, printed below. Happy summer solstice to all, and may your wine and music always be a perfect pairing!
How has the in-person reaction been to the pairings?
So far, the pairings have been met with great enthusiasm! The VISUALS Ritual of Senses (ROS) wine club members are always very excited about the entire package, and many have explained to me how they have hosted dinner parties to celebrate the full experience, as intended. There is really nothing more gratifying for me than to hear that my vision can facilitate connectivity like that. At the end of the day, the ROS club is about connection. I know the great power that comes with the camaraderie surrounding subculture. I live it within the sphere of music, craft beer and natural wine. With ROS it’s about finding the people that crave those ceremonial type moments of deep appreciation for thoughtful, fine crafted expressions.
Additionally, I’m always beyond thrilled to hear how much folks seem to enjoy the music specifically. Being a longtime lover of experimental/ambient/drone/electronic (generally abstract, non-lyrical music) I am aware that it can be quite niche, and it simply doesn’t make sense to many outside of the context of a film score or soundtrack. Within the context of the ROS package, the music is, in many ways, meant to be just that – an intentional score to the experience that aids in deepening its immersive nature. I’ve always felt the curatorial urge, wanting to share the things that I discover that I feel are extremely special and should be celebrated on a larger scale or with a bigger audience. The ROS package seemed like a good avenue to present these beautiful but abstract sounds to folks that may be more open minded to them given the underlying intention. This is meant to be a ritual? Yes! These sounds facilitate that.
Do you sell music/wine bundles in person?
I actually just started doing that in the Burial Beer/VISUALS Wine merchandise shop in Asheville. One could walk in and buy any of the Ceremony of Seasons records individually or as a bundle with the associated wine (with a slight discount on the pair). I sell the records through Bandcamp and so folks could have purchased them separately in the past but now I’m making it a little easier to have the experience as intended. Selling wine directly through the mail is possible but requires a lot of legal hurdles, so for now, you gotta either be in the club or come to the source to get the bundles.
Which of the three wines to date has produced the best responses?
Probably Conjured in Shadows Nouveau. Folks really seem to love that one. It’s sometimes nice to present something that many folks don’t have preconceived notions of. I guess it, again, goes back to the concept of facilitating an open mind. On a somewhat related topic, many people don’t think they like California Chardonnay and ours, Absent in the Void, seems to shock a lot of people, in a positive way. It’s very fruit forward, dry and has almost no oak presence. It’s really fun to share that one with people and watch their expectations be shattered.
Do the artists play at launches?
Almost always. This is one of the greatest benefits that comes from focusing on Asheville artists – they all live here and perform here regularly. So far, we are 2 for 3 and soon to be 3 for 4 on launch performances. Unfortunately, Tony Rolando wasn’t able to perform at the Spring release due to some family stuff. Instead, we showed an exclusive, long form music video that he made specifically for the release event. The summer release event on June 22nd will be hosted at the Asheville Art Museum and Thom Nguyen will be performing right in the main atrium. We will have projections by Jason Scott Furr and records will be available for sale. It should be a memorable experience!
What have the artists felt about the wines after trying them?
Generally, I try to provide them with the wine as they go into the writing process, so they can source inspiration from it and create something that feels cohesive with the vibe it provides them. Obviously, that’s not always possible due to how far in advance of the release the music needs to be recorded. If I can’t provide the wine, I’ll do my best to describe it to them in detail and express the aromas/flavors/feels I expect it to conjure. Of course, there is also the seasonal component to this, and that alone can inform a lot of the atmosphere.
Once the release happens, the artists almost always ask me how they can obtain a case or more. It seems like they not only really enjoy the wines themselves but are very excited to share them with friends and family. I would like to think that they are excited to share the pairing experience with their circle. Here again, I sense the communion that comes out of the project, and it brings me deep satisfaction and joy. Hopefully it does for all involved!
Richard Allen
Wed Jun 21 00:01:21 GMT 2023