Binaural audio might be a gimmick for some, but it’s a gimmick that the Toronto-based artist Wrené is ready and willing to explore to its full potential. She is a creator of Avant-garde music, a therapeutic listening experience that explores the limits of technology to make healing music. Starlight is the latest addition to her catalog.
Described by her as the new-age genre of music, Starlight features Alpha waves, a 10hz frequency pulse that’s used in meditation to promote feelings of well-being. There’s so much more to it than that, or far too little, depending on how you look at this kind of thing. Because Starlight isn’t necessarily a song, it doesn’t even have drums, violins, trumpets, or triangles. It’s entirely electronic. An atmosphere. A sensation, and one that you’ll find a hard time describing. For me, as I don’t currently practice Yoga or any other form of similar holistic activities, I can’t really comment on the therapeutic effects of this music, its binaural audio, or its alpha waves, but I can vouch for its creativity, inventiveness, and the general neatness of the produced output. If I had to imagine a soundscape that utilizes binaural audio, features healing ultra-low frequencies, and is the product of a musical mind, something strikingly close to Starlight will come to mind.
Perhaps one day I’ll get to fully experience this piece, the way Wrené intended it to be experienced, but for now, I’ll just say that it’s a cleanly produced sound that features intelligent sound effects, abrasive textures, harsh soundscapes, and it doesn’t end up sounding gritting, confusing, or unpleasant… but maybe a little desolate.