Jon Porras’ Black Mesa oozes warmth and intimacy


Taking a step back from his duties in Barn Owl seems like a golden opportunity for Jon Porras to break out and make a record that sounds nothing like Barn Owl. I’m envisioning a quiet folk record or a more rock-inspired, Sonic Youth-esque instrumental album. Instead Porras returns a solo effort that draws directly from the roots of Barn Owl and his solo work as Elm to create something unique.

Black Mesa builds on the atmospheric instrumentals of Barn Owl but the sound of Porras’ songs tread into the spiritual. These songs demand a certain level of reverence as the sounds evolve into a delicate force of guitars and subdued, pulsing beats. Nothing here would sound out of place in a cathedral; in fact, it might add a level of magic to the mystical sounds Porras already put to tape.

Imagine waking and finding yourself at the bottom of a deep mountain fissure. There would undoubtedly be pain and panic surrounding you, but you would most likely attempt to climb out. Black Mesa’s opener, “Into Midnight,” is the soundtrack for your long, seemingly impossible, climb back to the light. “Into Black Mesa” creates the atmosphere of the morning after. What exactly happened last night? It could have been something apocalyptic, it could have been a night out that took 1000 wrong turns; no matter what it was, it wasn’t good. “Into Black Mesa” is the cool down from that insanity. This song, like many on this record, is stabilizing and soothing. Sometimes the rest of the world needs to be blocked out for a time, and Jon Porras manages to do that with this record. For its nearly 50 minute duration, there is nothing else but you and Black Mesa.

Black Mesa is dominated by ambient guitar sounds, spacey echoes, and lush noise. Porras is among a rare group of artists who manage to create on this canvass and still keep the music personal. You can listen to these songs and you know that, at the core of it all, you’re still dealing with a guy and his guitar. This gives Black Mesa a warmth and intimacy that’s not common on an album like this.

Purchase Black Mesa via Thrill Jockey

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