Fountainia - Ruby Tingle (Avant Garde/Jazz) Ruby Tingle’s EP “Fountainia” is an aquatic themed trip down the rabbit hole, infusing live instrumentation with electronica to create a gothic jazz journey worthy of a Tim Burton film. The EP is less a collection of songs, and more an immersive art experience, and one we suggest you dive into.
Using natural sound processes and celestial vocals on a jazz template, Ruby’s sound is as unique as it is engaging. Worthy of Danny Elfman comparisons, the mix of cavernous reverbs and haunting operatic backgrounds aids Ruby’s excellent storytelling—we only read her intent with the project after listening to it and boy we were right on the money. Her soundscapes are also not bound by form, with the tracks often spinning into instrumental jam sessions that convince us “Fountainia” might be best consumed live in concert.
As sequenced, the EP feels like a journey through a strange world, equal parts haunting and beautiful, which draws the listener deeper and deeper with each new tributary. Ending in almost a funeral march, the project is cohesive and begs full immersion in order to experience the breadth of the artistic vision at play.
“Through the Canal”, the opener, is thoughtfully placed as it is the most approachable of the set. There’s a mystical introduction with the undertones of darkness that will permeate the project. The vocals are theatrical, curious and lilting, eventually accompanied by a soaring violin. It certainly sets the mood for what is to come.
“Birdland,” which may also be a reference to the noteworthy jazz club in NYC, is a study in musical tension, and begins to build the uncertainty in the project. At this point in the journey, the listener understands that it should leave any expectations behind and allow the stream to carry you where Ruby wants you to go. We particularly enjoyed the percussion in this piece, clearly evocative of raindrops from both the hats to the seductive patter of the bongos. Atmospheric and poetic, “Birdland” serves to solidify the atmosphere.
“Swimming Song” is where we really start moving. While prior tracks seemed playful and whimsical, there is much more drive to this one—we wrote down “the train is leaving the station.” Ruby has a knack for blending herself as a co-equal to the instrumentation rather than stand front and center, this time sharing the spotlight with a surprising guitar solo.
“Oyster” begins to pull away from the live instrumentation-centric tracks to center around a buzzy, urgent synth. Next to the closer, this is the darkest area of the pool, even nightmarish at times, with Ruby delivering her punchiest vocal which at times evoked Natalie Merchant.
“Journey to the Pool” felt like a tour of an otherworldly bizarre, surveying strange merchants and foreign wares. Ruby returns to her signature siren call and silky vocals, pulling us back to the cathedral.
Our favorite, however, is the closer “Gargoyle Mouth” which feels like a cinematic funeral procession. Broody and grim, the song takes on the vibe of an incantation, before finally spinning off into a swirling miasma that leaves the listener to ponder the journey now concluded.
In sum, “Fountainia” is an aural experience we suggest you wade into.