We last encountered  Mark Lyken and Emma Dove  a year ago with their installation-based EP and video  The Terrestrial Sea.   Their new work expands on the work of that prior release and continues an investigation of the sonic and visual properties of Scotland’s Black Isle.  An installation is again the launching pad; a special edition CD/DVD version is in the works, while the digital score is already available.

Mirror Lands, the film, is directed and lensed by Lyken and Dove, who share soundtrack duties as well.  This ambitious 67-minute project represents a confident forward step.  One of the appealing components of the DVD is that the narration, music and field recordings can be separated.  While the soundtrack stands on its own, it makes a lot more sense in the larger context.

Sea birds cry and swoop against a black backdrop before the piano and narration are introduced.  A…