Christopher Bissonnette

Christopher Bissonnette’s In a Second Floor Window is a continuation of the methodology and aesthetic intentions set out from 2020’s release Wayfinding. While the preceding album was an examination of reclusiveness, this body of work is focused on the longer term effect of that isolation. Much of this material was produced from a new studio location, with an outlook from a second floor window.

Bissonnette teased out subtle melancholic strains and implemented an increasingly reductive approach to the compositions. Despite a meticulous attention to detail on the final tracks, serendipitous moments were left intact, accidental fragments adding a sense of uneasiness to the mix. The sonics live in an environment caught between beauty and decay. A sense of wistfulness prevails among the typically graceful sounding instruments – piano tones, tines, pads – cast in a light of introspection and restlessness.

As a complimentary element, Bissonnette invited MA|DE, the joint authorship of Mark Laliberte and Jade Wallace, to respond to selected tracks with poems that reflect their perception of the work. These appear in a booklet included with the CD. Likewise, the accompanying photography reflects the partnership between the audio and the writing producing a third component, a visual manifestation of the work. A chain of responses that began at a time of intense uncertainty, culminating in a cathatric release of sonic self-expression.