Form Constants is the creative project of Canadian multidisciplinary artist Aidan Bugliarisi, a project born from years spent wandering the Pacific Northwest, writing music, and exploring mysticism in solitude. Drawing inspiration from Austin Osman Spare’s concept of “automatic writing,” Bugliarisi builds songs by repeating ideas until meaning and structure reveal themselves, then deconstructing and reshaping them. His work blurs the lines between genres, pulling from noise, hardcore, krautrock, neofolk, and no wave, while maintaining an admirably personal, almost ritualistic approach to songwriting. This is music as a tool for self-transformation, unbound by traditional form, narrative, or motivations.
“Crimson” is a noisy, chaotic opener with a hollow vocal tone that leaves plenty of space for the textured guitar layers to shine. The guitar work here is a personal favourite, layered and deliberate, and it cuts through the distortion pleasingly. While there’s potential for more vocal depth or layering. It would be a disservice to the artist’s message to try to decode the titles, but I do like them alongside each other. Still, the imagery sparks thought, particularly when imagining the symbolic weight of “crimson” in relation to the Christian figure of Mary Magdalene.
“Magdalene” begins with a wall of noise before transitioning into something softer, almost romantic, in tone. It’s a soothing midpoint that builds tension before sharply cresting into a rock- and punk-infused crescendo. The contrast between its gentler moments and explosive peaks makes it the more dynamic of the two singles, with the lyric “I waited for someone else to right my faults” standing out as an honest, relatable reflection on seeking validation. Who cannot relate? Together, these tracks showcase Form Constants’ love for weaving chaos and calm into a sonic output.
Written by Nthatile Mavuso
