Calum Builder - Poor_in_Spirit | the (Re)constructed Pipe Organ (2025)

Australian, Copenhagen-based composer Calum Builder delves into a sonic journey inside the body of his dismantled pipe organ.

In Poor_in_Spirit air becomes the life force connecting Builder to his creation, the (Re)constructed Pipe Organ, a mesmerizing tangle of extensive tubing and a multitude of pipes rescued from church organs across Northern Denmark.

In the nine tracks that make up the album, the non-conforming body of this organ gradually enters into dialogue with its creator. Inexorable crescendos, unexpected vibrations and a fragile yet steady flow of sounds are brought to life by the skilful movements of the artist, who operates this creature like a real “sound prosthesis” — Builder directs all the parts, which become one speaking body.

The triptych “Poor_in_Spirit,” which opens the album and gives it its title, slowly intensifies its pulsations like a growing embryo, gradually layering its vigour and complexity. Alternating between suspensions and swarming timbral and percussive interweavings, this mini-suite unfolds as we become aware of the potential of this machine and its voice.

In tracks such as “Sometimes I Wonder”, the focus shifts to the surrounding space. Reflections and harmonic changes speak of a sort of tactile perception of the other — reassurance comes from physical contact. The air becomes solid, almost tangibly palpable, and a dialogue begins through dense chords and final pulsations. But it is in “Pacific” that the delicate and relentless force of a drone made up of a hundred volatile voices draws us into a comprehensive dialogue with the “monster”.

With an eye towards its secular meaning, Poor_in_Spirit for Builder is about a raw and unpolished kind of seraching that drives his musical explorations. A state of non-resistance, non-retention, and openness to the unexpected.