Reviews:

(The Wire) Very hep tape by this Bay Area trio, comprised of Brian Day, Cheryl E Leonard and Tom Djll, all of whom have a whole lot of other things going on. Euphotic are a splendid outfit, however, and sound sort of like an imaginary electronics oriented offshoot of No-Neck being swallowed by a whale. It's a very boss sonic experience, rife with pseudo-evocations of wildlife based jazz which I find immensely stirring. Good stuff.- Byron Coley

(Vital Weekly) 'Conjugate Regions' is my second encounter with the music of Euphotic, a trio of Cheryl E. Leonard (natural objects), Tom Djll (trumpet, electronics), and Bryan Day (invented instruments). The first was 'Isopleths' (Vital Weekly 1257), which I immensely enjoyed. What I like about the music here is that it is more than improvisation. Sure, the trumpet is perhaps the instrument that delivers the more significant portion of improvisation, but the other two do that, even when their contribution is within the realm of electro-acoustic sounds. I guess that's where for me, the attraction lies here. The metallic sounds of Day's wooden boxes with strings, played with sticks, bows, and fingers, set against the shaking and moving of natural objects by Leonard, make a very natural electro-acoustic sound. When Djil connects more with his electronics (I believe some modular set-up), such as in 'Terella', it all becomes very interesting. Without knowing as much, I would think there isn't a lot of editing going on, and much of what we hear is a 'live' concert, maybe cleaned up and trimmed around the edges. I like this freeform approach quite a bit, especially with the increasing amounts of improvisation music that lands on my desk these days. This trio plays their music and sounds with great mutual respect; no one is the boss here, everybody has a place, demands and gets one, and there is great interaction all around here. Euphotic plays lengthy pieces, but they remain to hold one's attention throughout their length. There always seem to be lots of small things happening below the surface. - Frans de Waard

(Foxy Digitalis) Strange landscapes emerge from a neon mist. In the distance, sacred songs stretch above the globular architecture, spinning geometric clouds into aerial sound waves. The trio of Cheryl E. Leonard, Bryan Day, and Tom Djil use countless unimaginable techniques to repurpose the familiar into something alien. Certain textures and tonal essences on Conjugate Regions register in our brains before being twisted and turned on their heads. Something new appears on the other side of this sonic matrix. Drones dive through liquid mercury into symmetric circuit boards. Clunking arrhythmia pretends to offer guideposts, but it’s another mirage swallowed by whirring aural spindles and glassine speculation. This sound world is incredible, and even after multiple listens, I’ve only scratched the surface. Massive recommendation. - Brad Rose

(Lost In A Sea of Sound) Paralyzed within the sonic breakers. The force of waves preventing consciousness from moving out while the undertow constantly pushes against. Conjugate Regions has this effect on thoughts. Aural details so finite and crystalline, causing trans-fixation within the moment. These sounds are completely unnatural, equating them to known causes and experiences would be an unsuccessful monumental task. There is no need for this though, after pressing play, new sonic shapes grow within the mind. They form landscapes, creatures and passage of time. Trepidation mixed with curious astonishment, there is no need to move forward or back. A fascinating world articulates around us, energy building to crumble and build again. All of this done with a mesmerizing brilliance and patient love.     Euphotic is the work of three highly skilled artists/musicians. Cheryl E. Leonard, a composer of explored sonic fringes and who Lost in a Sea of Sound had the pleasure of recently describing Antarctica: Music from the Ice. Tom Djll, an electronics guru of sounds, and trumpeter. Bryan Day, an artists building new sound machines and composing new pathways. All three individuals with years of experience, patients and a desire to create beyond the thresholds of listener's dreams. This composition titled Conjugate Regions contains four lengthy tracks devoted to extraordinary resonance from the physical world. The harmony between these musicians is perfectly balance and expertly crafted. As mentioned, the sound details are vivid and striking, but never become overwhelming. Conjugate Regions is a pleasure to experience.  Released on cassette by the IKUISUUS, a long running label for beautiful fringe music from Finland. Tapes are in an edition of one hundred and are currently available. With euro to us dollar fairly close and shipping reasonable, buying music from Europe has become more doable for residents in the states. Not sure how this is for our continental neighbors though. - Ken Lower

(Raised by Cassettes) This cassette begins with some sharp ringing. Whirrs come in behind that and they start to twist to where it can begin to sound as if it is a seal. A whistle or flute also blows through the transmission now. There are real alien vibes in here as well. It's become somewhat of a hum and I hear faint horns. Vocal scrapes slide through now. Swirling through what feel like muted vocals now, as the sharpness is fading but still there. Sounds like lights and it just feels like we've shifted into an experimentation now. Not in the sound, but as if we're in an actual laboratory. Tones come through now almost like a fax machine. Keys like car horns now and the sound begins to gallop. It trills now and there is also just that rattle. There is some growling in this but also sounds like glass. Birds are chirping now, making it feel like the morning. As it reaches an end it just feels like deflated jazz. On the flip side we open with the sound of a fly buzzing. Rapid fire electronics now, as if they are glitching and then that sound of glass again. Electronics come in now and feel a bit like a video game, even a bit like pinball. There are those scrapes as well. Bings and beeps now. There is a horn coming through now and it adds a melody to the madness.   Horns come through now in a beeping way and then they begin to scramble. It drops off a little bit quieter, but feels like JAWS. There is still some scraping and then that sonar comes in and expands, putting us somewhere between an alien sci-fi movie and something scary like "The Thing". The electronics are going up and down now, screeching to a halt but then also just soaring back up.   The horns have returned, giving it that broken jazz sound once again. The ball bounces, the metal rattles, the glass shakes. Some whooshes and crashes going on. The whirr is hypnotic. Someone is out of breath. Words are coming through in fragments. It feels like a radio station now and then that scraping is there again. Pulsating. That warm hum seems to glow as it radiates. It grows quieter, almost like drone, but it feels as if we're being hunted. - Joshua Macala

(Bad Alchemy) Auf dem finnischen Label, sollte man, wenn Bandnamen wie Harps of Fuchsia Kalmia, Monks of Malaspina, Lichen Gumbo, Core of the Coalman halten, was sie versprechen, tolle Musiken finden. Mit Euphotic ist es ein Wiederhören nach „Isopleths“ (2020) als erstem Eindruck des kalifornischen Trios von Cheryl E. Leonard, Bryan Day und Tom Djll, dem Dreiklang ihrer Naturklänge (mit Muscheln, Steinen, Knochen, Treibholz, Sand) & Feldaufnahmen (von Wind, Wasser), der Eigenbau-Intonarumori des Public Eyesore-Machers, und Djlls gepusteter Trompete und morphenden Elektronen. Sammelnd, bastelnd, zaubernd integriert das die Stufen vom Natürlichen zum Künstlich-Imaginären, den 'Myriameter'-Sprung von Wilma Flintstone zu Gyro Gearloose, vom Sprung von den 'Radiolarians' (Strahlentierchen) zu Wilma ganz zu schweigen. Eingerahmt ist das mit 'Jovian Whistlers', Bltzfrequenzen auf Jupiter, und 'Terella' (kleine Welt), Raum genug für bruitistische Machenschaften von konkret über simuliert bis phantastisch und suggestiv. Zwitschermaschinenspatzen mischen sich mit Trompetenpoesie und Trompetengesumm, eingebettet in ein Rumoren wie von den 'Geräuschfamilien' Russolos: Brummen, Prasseln, Dröhnen – Pfeifen, Pusten – Surren, Brodeln – Knacken, Knistern, Summen, Reiben – Schläge auf Metall, Holz, Steine – Laute von Vögeln, Insekten, menschlicher Stimme. Fehlt nur noch, dass sie den Gehsteig aufgraben – ey, wie soll ich da noch Euphotic hören!? - Rigobert Dittmann