Close Proximity and the Unhindered Care-all is likely to be considered a masterpiece of the classical ambient genre. Embodying all of the elements of ‘traditional’ ambient music, the album also in many ways encompasses all of the haunting beauty that we have come to expect from Celer, Will Thomas Long and the late Danielle Baquet Long. Tinged with the sadness of Dani’s passing, this album gives new meaning to the love shared and transmitted through their timeless collaboration.

From the music to the poetry to the artwork, Close Proximity and the Unhindered Care-all is one of the most complete works of art to be released, in the form of an album, in some time. Released on Nicholas Szczepanik’s SRA label, this is an excellent additional to their diverse and growing catalogue. Beautifully rendered photography by Johnny Utterback alongside the poetry of Dani, found within the inlay, solidifies the perfection of this new work. I still get emotional each time I read ‘Not Too Blue To Fly’ composed by Danielle and from which the title was extracted.

‘Don’t be worried,
only comforted, known to see,
who
we
are.

Close proximity,
an unhindered care through-all, near.’

To me, this poem adds a personal dimension to the album that is inseparable from the musical structures that unfold over the course of the album. It reminds us of the love from which this work bursts forth. It reminds us of ‘how important care is.’ I personally cannot think of Celer’s work as anything but silently spoken sonic poetry.

Musically, the album combines a more classical approach to ambience with the unforgettable minimalism of early Celer. Notably, unlike many of their other albums, throughout the music can be heard unprocessed field recordings which range from humorous to sublime. From a purely musical perspective I believe that this album will stand the test of time. Unlike much of Celer’s work, which often relies on short fragments or extremely long musical gestures, Close Proximity is in three long movements, each comprised of several short interconnecting movements. Structurally I consider this a stroke of genius as the musical interest is never lost or overstated while the sonic gestures are allowed to mature along side the seemingly disparate layer of field recordings.

On a personal note, what I love most about Close Proximity is the compositional voice of Will and Dani. I can literally hear their love for one another in this music, I can literally feel her presence in this work. If there could be an album that delivers the emotional power of a sonic era, this may be it.