Ghost Layers' is a collaboration between electro-acoustic composer Scott L. Miller and the critically acclaimed TAK Ensemble, a quintet that delivers energetic and virtuosic performance of “21st century chamber music that combines crystalline clarity with the disorienting turbulence of a sonic vortex.” (WIRE Magazine). The group consists of Laura Cocks, flute; Marina Kifferstein, violin; Joshua Rubin, clarinet/bass clarinet; Meaghan Burke, cello; Ellery Trafford, percussion; Charlotte Mundy, voice; Tristan McKay, piano. Throughout his work, composer Scott Miller demonstrates a reverence for observation — of the sounds of the natural world, the nuances of the electronic realm, and the intricacies of acoustic instruments. On 'Ghost Layers' we hear this quality manifested in several chamber works, all but one of which include electronics. In much of his recent work, Miller has written what he terms eco-systemic music. Through the use of found environmental sounds, subsequent analysis of those sounds, and the establishment of paradigms within the structure of the music, Miller builds musical structures that mimic ecosystems in the way they function. The music on 'Ghost Layers' manifests these characteristics of Miller’s music in ensemble pieces that balance kinetic intensity with subtle examinations of pitch and timbre.

Those already familiar with Miller and/or TAK Ensemble will likely not be surprised with 'Ghost Layers' overall, but within each piece there is a certain amount of subtlety that may cause some chin-stroking. Beginning with "Accretion," (9:19), a lively orchestral piece with nearly all hands on deck, seemingly freeform chaos gives way to a kind of order of a series of little playful events. Originally written for Estonian based Ensemble U, "Accretion" grew out of initial field recordings Miller made in 2015 of waterfalls on the Grand Portage Trail and ice floes in the Grand Marais Bay. That becomes evident 2/3 through the piece as the sound of water transforms "Accretion" into an ambient work with drones and gentle orchestration. "Eidolon" was inspirited by a transatlantic flight Miller took, and the phantom sounds he thought he heard during it. Beginning with a (cabin) drone, there are occasional seatbelt pings, and lengthy woodwind notes, cymbal zizzes, light percussive tapping, and other elements that could be considered ghostly. The drone turns to airline hum and you really do get the feeling that you're flying. This piece is extraordinarily well done, and you might not feel like flying for a while after listening to it.

"Chimera No. 2" is a duet (or perhaps a duel) between the electronics of Scott L. Miller and the violin of Marina Kifferstein. If it was a duel, Kifferstein wins hands down on a TKO dominating the piece, although Miller gets in some good shots himself. That isn't the point here however; it's spatialization as the lines between the acoustic and the electronic are frequently blurred throughout. “Katabasis” (for Four Instruments, More or Less) is the only purely acoustic work on the recording. It consists of three parts – 1. Relaxed but Persistent (5:01); 2. With Direction, Not Urgency (6:15); 3. Brittle and Delicate, With Precision. On 1, Charlotte Mundy's voice serves as drone mirroring Kifferstein’s minimal violin to some degree. This is by far the most minimal aspect of ‘Ghost Layers.’ Part 2 begins with Mundy humming a melody into which the woodwinds follow at a safe distance. There are occasional elements of percussion, minimal, discreet and subdued. There’s an aura of melancholy here, and the general impression is akin to surveying a post apocalyptic scene. Part 4 is a series of combined held tones with rests that seemed more like an academic exercise than anything else and failed (in my mind) to resolve the dichotomy with voice and instruments.

Ending with “Lovely Little Monster,” the listener is jarred from the passivity of the previous piece with a tumult of percussive elements and expressive woodwinds chirping, hooting and cawing like birds in trees while Miller’s electronics add nearly cartoonish elements, making this a rather fun excursion into the absurd. ‘Ghost Layers’ is a multifaceted work that would be really hard to pin down into a unified theme. Miller and the TAK Ensemble seem to work very well together and while not every composition on the album was my particular cup of tea, I found the majority of it very enjoyable and rewarding, and it’s hard to ask for more than that.