A Place Outside of Time by The Bird’s Companion – Stationary Travels
Music has long been a part of the life of Casey van Wensem, from piano lessons in elementary school to being part of various folk and rock bands, but with his ambient project known as The Bird’s Companion, the Canadian composer and multi-instrumentalist explores a passion for an introspective style of music that incorporates influences ranging from minimalist composers such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Arvo Pärt to contemporary instrumentalists featuring both keyboards (Nils Frahm, Hauschka) and guitar (Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai).
Bringing all of this to A Place Outside of Time, the latest release from the project and its debut on the Whitelabrecs imprint, van Wensem employs a range of acoustic and electric instruments including piano, electric guitar, baritone guitar, banjo and various synths to draw the listener into an introspective meditation on themes inspired by a particular chapter from the acclaimed 1967 novel ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude‘ by Gabriel García Márquez.
Like the “memory machine” built by a member of the Buendía family to counter a village’s collective amnesia, the music is presented as a similar kind of vessel, albeit on a smaller scale, holding precious memories in the form of sound and melody that can be summoned back to life over & over again. And while Casey had his own family in mind when he made the record, the nature of instrumental music and his particular sensitivity as a composer allows it to speak in a universal language of love & loss that can reach the heart of any listener. A Place Outside of Time is a poignant personal and creative quest, especially in a time when tsunamis of digital noise and information make it too easy for us to lose important connections to our past.
Many of the titles on the album are taken directly from the text of this chapter. For example, The Memory Machine is a reference to the machine built by Jose Arcadio Buendia – a machine that spins images of a person’s entire life before their eyes, so they can retrieve their memories in the midst of their amnesia. I was also thinking a lot about my family when making the album, especially my grandparents and my wife’s grandparents, who have had a major influence in my life.
Casey van Wensem aka The Bird’s Companion
A Place Outside of Time was released May 17, 2025, by Whitelabrecs in a limited vinyl-effect CD edition along with digital download and streaming options. The album was mastered by James Edward Armstrong and features photography by Casey van Wensem and art & design by Andrew Heath.
Links: Bandcamp (CD/digital) | The Bird’s Companion
