Zachary James Watkins - Affirmative Action (2024)

Affirmative Action is the latest album by Zachary James Watkins, released by Sige. This ambient masterpiece takes listeners on a journey through intricate soundscapes and ethereal melodies.

With a blend of electronic elements and organic instrumentation, Affirmative Action creates a mesmerizing sonic experience that is both calming and thought-provoking. Each track is carefully crafted to evoke emotions and transport the listener to another realm.

Zachary James Watkins showcases his talent for creating immersive sound environments in this album, with layers of textures and tones that build upon each other to create a rich tapestry of music. The compositions are dynamic, evolving, and full of surprises that keep the listener engaged from start to finish.

Listeners can expect to be taken on a sonic journey that is both introspective and expansive. Affirmative Action invites you to lose yourself in its hypnotic rhythms and lush harmonies, making it a must-have for any ambient music enthusiast.

Experience the magic of Zachary James Watkins' Affirmative Action today and let yourself be carried away by its enchanting melodies and captivating atmospheres.

Zachary James Watkins - on his practice
My art investigates the rich area of resonance and I engage in dialogue influenced by past works, current concerns and new directions. Works attempt to immerse the senses bringing to the fore natural phenomenon. I believe that sound can heal and that the conscious investigation of harmonic tunings, acoustic resonance as well as social relationships can yield powerful experiences.

One of my objectives as an artist is to expose natural phenomena. I am interested in the physical aspects of sound and have developed a sensibility that focuses heavily on Resonance. Vibration is at the core of my experience of Resonance. I am moved by natural resonances that exist around us all. My own work strives to develop and nurture Resonances by negotiating sensitive relationships among a number of what I identify as critical ingredients for psychedelic phenomena: resonant bodies exciting harmonic energy creating diverse waves, beating and phase patterns diffused spatially with full dynamic range and a deep attention to the body and how it engages with the environment.

Zachary James Watkins - selected quotes from his liner notes to “Affirmative Action”

Affirmative Action offers my practice in three formations, each approach reflecting my current sonic and social concerns: 1) solo improvisation on harmonic guitar, electronics and resonant space, 2) through composed notation and 3) ensemble writing involving pros. High Vibration Resonance.

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Wide open skies, flat lands descending into canyon, dust storms, thunder, terracotta, dew grass and the long duration cicada song. Deeply sensual, resonant and immersive memories of Texas that I hold close. These images act as an escape and are painted against a backdrop of oppressive and deadly ideologies. Since I can remember, sound and listening have always offered space to reflect and be. Rest in Peace all Victims of Systematic Oppression and Power to the People.

Tracklist
01 - Black Love.flac
02 - Affirmative Action A
03 - Affirmative Action B
04 - Affirmative Action C
05 - Affirmative Action D
06 - Affirmative Action E
07 - Affirmative Action F
08 - Texas Jailhouse Rock for Sandra Bland