space/image/word/sound II offers a rich journey through two-years' worth (2014-2015) of Thomas DeLio's purely electroacoustic creations for computer-generated sound and processed poetry. DeLio seems to have made music that conceptualizes sound as objects in space, more like a visual artist might. These compositions turn the idea of linearity inside out so that sound is no longer time-oriented and, instead, becomes an articulation of spatial volume. DeLio makes it nearly impossible for listeners to get their bearings due to the quantity or positioning of sound in the surround space. Now, instead of hearing sound unfold over time, the experience begins to emphasize textures that create a feeling of spatial depth and the sense of sonic pressure, where time is not even a consideration. Even when texts are source materials, the music feels like a series of sonic explorations that completely eschew any sense of formal design. It seems that, for DeLio, form is no longer important since the whole idea is to stay in the moment. Yet, there is somehow a clear feeling of overall unity coming from the sonic characteristics of each composition - perhaps formal designs that are completely outside of time, like we might experience with paintings. This music is by its very nature a radical departure from composition as we presently understand it.
This DVD is in 5.0 surround-sound audio (no stereo versions are provided) for five full-spectrum speakers with no channel sent to the subwoofer. The configuration is front center, front left and right, and rear surround left and right. The disc menu appears on screen with composition titles that can be selected out of order, but the disc has been welldesigned for listening from beginning to end.