Antonymes 'The Licence to Interpret Dreams' – MiM

Excerpt: “Ian Hazeldine, who records under the alias Antonymes, is as fascinating and unconventional as you can find. Start with the recent Fluid Radio interview: Hazeldine is a graphic designer, photographer and filmmaker, responsible for the ravishing images accompanying Field Rotation’s universally acclaimed Acoustic Tales. Regarding film… he claims to “post process each frame individually,” which is a testament to his creative method, to say nothing of sheer, enviable patience. He hopes to sell physical prints from a photography site to be created later in the year, as “digital photography doesn’t age.” To hear Hazeldine tell it, his poor memory borders on the caricature: he discovered the title to his forthcoming album written on an unexplained note in his own handwriting, chalking it up to “most likely from something on BBC Radio 4.” Listening to his finished work, there is no question whether or not Hazeldine is a remarkable talent, a composer with natural instincts. But he is strikingly modest about it, stating, “I don’t play particularly well, and I tend not to like re-recording parts.” He deflects the notion of appearing in concert almost out-of-hand, “I’m really not a performer.” He says, “I really have no desire to perform live. I did a couple of things with Paul Morley last year, The Big Chill in the summer and at the Southbank Centre just before Christmas. I just brought my parts on CD and sat in the audience.”… Recorded over the span of an entire decade (that’s some 5.7 minutes of recorded material per year, for those of you keeping score), Licence reflects the agonizing increments and surefooted method that instructed Hazeldine’s previous works. Those familiar with Beauty Becomes The Enemy Of The Future can expect the same view, although here it is more realized, perhaps more fragile. His description of the writing process is proven in nearly every piece: slow and spartan piano work, some virtuoso string play, and expert texturing. For a part-time, DIY musician who began composing at an older age than is usual, Hazeldine has terrific instincts, deftly communicating nostalgia, tragedy, drama, sadness, in addition to mere beauty.”

The Muse in Music