The ancient Yellow Bell. A fundamental tone in Chinese tradition adjusted through time to reflect society’s place in the cosmic order, forever connecting sound to systems of universal harmony and structure.
The perennial Yellow Bell. A desert shrub that blooms brightly in the shape of bells, attracting honey bees, yet—useful to know—unlike most flowering plants, the honey produced from its pollen is poisonous.
Yellow Bell, an album of ambient variations and transient frequencies, Jasmine Guffond’s debut under her own name (previously: Jasmina Maschina, Minit). The first bell is cited inspiration. The latter is a fitting (if unverified) abstraction. Precisely halfway through “Useful Knowledge”, its drone gives way to processed hums and softly advancing synth lines… to something warmer. Maybe the cosmos are shifting; maybe the sun is rising over cool sand. Maybe the toxins are setting in.
The LP, with handmade cardboard/textile packaging, is out as of last week on Sonic Pieces.