Cole Blouin – First Descent (Glimpse) (2025)
With past works including “production-oriented art-rock, prepared guitar, microtonal contemporary classical music, and more…”, I found it difficult to define my expectations of musician Cole Blouin. This is my introduction, and what an introduction it is – obscure, eclectic, and certainly memorable. So, join me as we wander through Blouin’s most recent release, ‘First Descent (Glimpse)’.
Following the 2025 album, Melting Planets – a collaborative record with Sivan Cohen Elias and Lauren Siess – Blouin steps into the realm of… well, I’m not entirely sure how to label it. Should it be labelled? Perhaps not; some of the most emotional music slides between the cracks with experimental flair and avant-garde sensibilities. For me, ‘First Descent (Glimpse)’ exists in a cinematic soundscape flooded with experimental electronic washes of sound; however, the melody is sliced with flutters of post-rock oscillating between psychedelic abstract and flecks of practical rock-tinged guitar.
Produced by award-winning recording engineer Greyfade, with mastering by Joseph Branciforte, ‘First Descent (Glimpse)’ brims with obscurity and off-kilter avant-garde innovation, but as much as there is a wistful ride of obtuse sound, an odd sense of sophistication binds everything, finding the sweet spot between completely out there and pragmatically in tune. Keeping the oddness within a structured cage, ‘First Descent (Glimpse)’ offers intensity, but without the raw rage of ferocity or brooding.
While the melody may seem hollow and desperate, there is an immersive fullness to its sparseness. Capturing the darkness within, ‘First Descent (Glimpse)’ is exactly what it says: a glimpse of the descent into tragedy. Its stillness is flecked with biting, angular pits of post-rock, making it reminiscent of a dusty wasteland without any hope of life; however, the interspersed guitar glimmers with the breath of humanity – it might be brief, but it’s still there. The ideal soundtrack for a dystopian film or novel, ‘First Descent (Glimpse)’ is the waking up to emptiness, and constant seeking for something to cling to.
Find out more about Cole Blouin on their official website, Instagram, YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Listen to more avant-garde music on The Other Side Reviews Avant Garde playlist:
