Wilt is a dark ambient project from the USA. Mastermind behind this act is James Keeler. “Amidst a spacious fabric” is the third full length album by Wilt, besides numerous cdr releases. It is my first acquaintance though with this project, and it is a pleasing one. Wilt weaves a fine tapestry of dark ambient sounds on this album. The eleven tracks, all untitled, have distinct hypnotic qualities. There is enough variation on this cd to hold your attention for over an hour. The sounds that are used are not cliché, but created from original sources and acoustic sounds. This is not so strange, because a fairly unique instrument in dark ambient has been used: all sounds have been created with a zither! Of course they have been manipulated and distorted, but at times you can hear the original instrument in the music.
Though the music can be compared to classic examples, like Lustmord or the darker Cold Meat releases, Wilt manages to create something which sounds fresh, if that is an appropriate term for this style of music. More tranquil soundscapes are alternated with deep drones and more noisier parts. At times a few melodic passages can be heard. The general mood stays calm though throughout the album. The music is dark and cold at times, but not exaggerated, probably through the acoustic origin of the sounds. The title of the album is well chosen, because there is indeed a lot of ‘space’ in the music, only essential sounds and layers have been used. Wilt has created some nice soundscapes on this album, which has more feeling and atmosphere than many other releases in the dark ambient field.
