Inspired by the psychedelic utopianism/dystopic architecture of SUPERSTUDIO, ARCHIGRAM, PETER PEARCE and BUCKMINSTER FULLER, the films of WERNER HERZOG (“…The Sculptor Steiner” is a reference to Alexis’ favourite Herzog film), OSCAR FISCHINGER and TACITA DEAN, and 70s modular analog experimentation, "In Light" is a luminous album of warm, pulsing music that contrasts sharply with the clinical sound of so much contemporary electronic music. Rather, it is a mezmerizing, widescreen experience that bridges the natural and (post)modern worlds with warmth, sophistication, modesty and elegance. But first, a bit of background.

Arp is the most recent project of Alexis Georgopoulos, a San Francisco-based artist, writer and musician brought up in France, Greece and the United States. As a founding member of rhythmic experimentalists TUSSLE and OutFolk collective THE ALPS, Alexis has toured the world and released critically acclaimed work. He has performed in gallery spaces such as DEITCH PROJECTS (NYC), MoMA (SF) and the FRIEZE ART FAIR (UK) and shared stages with GANG GANG DANCE, DEERHOOF, EYE (BOREDOMS), ZONGAMIN, ANDREW WEATHERALL, MUM, and YEAH YEAH YEAHS. Alexis has composed music for sound installations; curated art programs which have included artists such as SIMON EVANS, JO JACKSON and CHRIS JOHANSON; written on Visual Art, Design and Music for international Arts & Culture publications such as i-D, THE BLOW UP, TOKION and THE GUARDIAN (SF); taken part in various avant-garde workshops; and had numerous deejay residencies.

In Spring 2006, after acting as primary songwriter & arranger of Tussle’s Telescope Mind, Alexis left the group. Soon after, world-renowned ARTFORUM critic & WHITE COLUMNS curator MATTHEW HIGGS selected Alexis to take part in an exhibit he was curating at New Langton Center for the Arts. Inspired to try something new, Alexis put away the bass and drums and spent a few months improvising with analog synthesizers, pulse machines, flute, piano, pedals and an old 4track cassette recorder. As an emblem of Alexis’ commitment to "natural electronic music” (bridging the natural and electronic worlds), nearly all of "In Light" was recorded live. Very few loops were used - in fact, only one. This gesture was meant to bring back some of the rough (re: natural) edges Alexis feels have been lost in so much "Electronic Music” today. The result, much of which was initially presented in that exhibition in collaboration with architect Kyu Che, is a vivid world of enchanted, elevated psychedelia that touches upon his love of everything from the 4th World explorations of Alice Coltrane to the kosmische side of 70s Germany, from Soundtrack music to 20th Century Minimalist composition.

One may detect traces, in the elegant, rippling “St Tropez” for example, of vintage CLUSTER or RALF & FLORIAN. In the propulsive arpeggios of “…The Sculptor Steiner,” one may hear traces of the overlooked Italian Futurist FRANCO BATTIATO, French spacerock group HELDON or Taj Mahal Traveler TAKEHISA KOSUGI. The first part of the "Potentialities” suite recalls the suspended motorik pulse of HARMONIA while the latter recalls the metaphysical, hypnopompic trance of early Terry Riley. A shiny monolith of reflective sound, the epic Homerian/Kubrick-ian “Odyssey (For Bas Jan Ader)” puts forth the album’s only mildly paranoid vision of the known & unknown. “Fireflies On The Water” meanwhile, nods to the instrumental forays on BRIAN ENO’s “rock” albums, not his too-oft cited “ambient” music. While drawing on these touchstones, the music of Arp is always committed to originality in sensibility and vision. Though neither drum machine nor bass can be found, the music is nevertheless characterized by a propulsive, chugging forward-motion, always displaying a mezmerizing display of light & color. "In Light" is pastoral and imagistic, ecstatic and elevated, glowing in white and orange and blue light, like an early morning sunrise on the French Riviera. Through a unique approach to recording, "In Light" is also characterized by an occasionally warbly, slightly degraded analog warmth that, while calling to mind old washed-out photographs, suggests the faded but still poignant strains of memory.

The stunning cover features the artwork of Turner Prize nominated artist/filmaker/writer TACITA DEAN (represented by MARIAN GOODMAN GALLERY) and original cover typography by TAUBA AUERBACH (represented by DEITCH PROJECTS).