In what has been a lavish and prolific year for the ambient aficionado, the late arrival of P Jørgensen’s debut is somewhat of a superfluous addition. Cyclical tones of decaying synths permeate Lets The Sun Drag Itself Out In A Long Ray in a rudimentary and typical fashion; the resulting pieces are predominantly predictable and devoid of either the experimentalism of this years Stars of the Lid comeback or the emotional clout of Giuseppe Ielasi’s gorgeous August.

The crux and staple for ‘cinematic’ music such as this is its ability to hold the listener’s concentration for its running time. The soundscaping must engender generic traits that vitalize and galvanise the record;: sweeping laments; moving, elegant progressions; driving invention. Jørgensen’s record, however, only breathes these moments in sparse and fleeting passages. “Ava”, ironically enough, opens the album with a poise and deft handling that belies everything that follows; it is an inordinate peak amongst a bevy of troughs and dirges that barely pass as dramatic flourishes worthy of the genre’s conventions. Pieces such as “Sun-hwa” and “Maxine” appear all the more folly when compared with the better releases this year. SotL have been mentioned in this regard, but in terms of composition, and the requisite extraction from these centerpieces, Opitope would be the obvious peers to heed. The fundamental difference between Peter and his Japanese counterparts is their capacity to maximize their ideas in their arrangements; to this extent, concepts and images are easily conveyed in exciting and nuanced ideas and passages - where 07’ standout artists are ready and willing to think outside the ambient box, Jørgensen rarely strays from his safe comforts.

It could be argued that the release suffers drastically because of the gems that have surfaced throughout the year, which is true - but that would overlook the fact that there’s very little on offer here that is either elegant or poignant. OverallLets The Sun Drag Itself Out In A Long Ray is not a bad album, but fails to demand attention.

-Alex Bradshaw