"...In solitude for company." This dark and shadowy pre-universe was crafted by the hand and ear of one man, Matthew Smith, multi-tracking himself dozens of times and sewing the pieces together with god-like beauty. To be sure, there is an appearance by the legendary new music ensemble Zeitgeist, but even they have been turned into extensions of Smith’s musical tentacles. These are fleeting sonic glimpses of haunting beauty; like a Tarkovsky film that was never made, or a strung-out string ensemble. They shimmer, build intensity, and decay in a spiritual space of here and now. An aurora borealis of the mind.
"The 9/11 attacks inspired an outpouring of moving musical tributes that may never be completely catalogued. However, Matthew Smith’s Symphony No. 4 surely ranks among the most gripping.... [Zeitgeist] is no Frankenstein monster, but blossoming music that compels in its forward motion, despite its largely atmospheric construction."
Andrew Druckenbrod- Gramophone
