|
|
 |
|
------Oophoi
-An Aerial View |
| STYLE |
|
Warm ambient
drones in slow-motion drift for a cold impression. Oophoi
presents an album that floats beautifully through the Ice
Age without taking the usual route - meandering strains from
a theramin interweave subtle drones and sonic turbulence to
create a vision of frozen expanse that is lonely yet not foreboding,
that conjures up images of endless white vistas without the
gloomy immensity of rumbling spaces and heavy wind movement.
The use of the thermin seems appropriate here - an instrument
invoked without the touch of the player's hands - motions
of the air, drifting, shifting, minimal. The album hangs buoyant,
unhurried, carried peacefully on frosted winds through sixty
five minutes and seven seconds of slight harmonious variation
- attractive, highlighting the beauty of this extremity of
inspiration. The term Würm comes from a river in the
Alps where what is believed to have been the most recent glaciation
of this world was first identified. |
| |
| ARTWORK |
|
A
crisp digipack presentation that opens out into two beautifully
designed panels - broad white borders letterbox a panorama
of very unwhite snow. Blue shadowy folds and indentations
brown discolourations zig-zag and weave across the crests
of motionless pale waves. The text is minimal outside, inside
simply a statement from the artist outlining his thoughts
on the composition of the album. The inner backdrop crystalline
pale blue stretched icily across both panels - a simple vein
of brown marking off a whiter facet. |
| |
| OVERALL |
|
An
Aerial View is delivered to us as the first of the Würm
series through Alessandro Tedeschi's Glacial Movements label.
Alessandro himself might be well known to ambient fans through
his own project Netherworld - his label is dedicated to
releasing high quality ambient music that describes "places
that man has forgotten...icy landscapes...fields of flowers
covered eternally with ice... icebergs colliding amongst
themselves...". Oophoi is the work of the prolific
Gianluigi Gasparetti - another Italian ambient musician.
On the sleeve notes he describes his approach to this album
"I had to describe with sounds the white landscape,
the blinding light reflected by the frozen oceans, the abyssal
silence. I have imagined myself in flight over this Sleeping
Earth, a solitary winged-being surrounded by winds, air,
water and ice. This led me to compose an airy drone with
minimal variations and delicate tones, an homage to a pure,
incontaminated and remote land." |
|
 |
|
------BLVD
- Digital Disorder |
| STYLE |
|
Energetic
electronic instrumentals, danceable downtempo. BLVD present
a fusion of melodic psy-trance and house synthetics with
powerful breakbeat rhythms that are clearly influence by
the band's enjoyment of live performance real instrumentation.
That said - the aim here was a challenge the band set themselves
"to put down their instruments and create soulful music
strictly through the use of ideas and electronically generated
sound" whereas previous albums have focused on a combination
of live and programmed music. The ten tracks on Digital
Disorder are driven by strong beats with gutsy basslines
- these support a sharp array of electronic arrangements
that mostly avoid the traditional arpeggiators in favour
of crisp phrases, liquid motifs and smooth pads. The result
is a lively collection of focused digital disorder with
a heart of of soul.
|
| |
| MOOD |
|
Bright
and upbeat, Digital Disorder is dancefloor music for sure,
especially when the bpm rises and the synths start to really
percolate. Nonetheless this album is very listenable away
from the clubs - bringing something of the urban night wherever
you fancy taking it in. The sound is clean and lucid lifting
the listener, energising, motivating. |
| |
| ARTWORK |
|
My
copy of Digital Disorder comes in a card sleeve that is fronted
by an amber tinted photograph of a suitably tangled musical
technology collection - leads strewn across various bits of
kit, jackplugs and switches in abundance. On the rear is a
second similar image and a simple tracklist. For anyone wanting
a bit more information, the band's
website provides abundantly. |
| |
| OVERALL |
|
This release is the third from West Coast
based BLVD, presented via San Francisco's eclectic Cyberset
Records. The group is known for their live performances
and extensive touring, stylistically straddling the divide
between dance club culture and the live music community.
Consisting primarily of a three piece combo made up of guitarist
Curtis Sloane, drummer Dylan McIntosh and Tripp Bains on
bass guitar, BLVD formed back in 2001 and have since worked
in collaboration with other artists and vocalists. The ten
tracks here draw on funk, instrumental improvisation, psychedelic
chill and so forth yet dance on unfettered by any specific
genre - all instrumental, all rhythmically infectious, all
one coherent whole. |
| |
| WHO
WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM |
|
This
is an album for anyone liking electronic groove with a touch
of soul, give the tracks a listen at the Cyberset
website. Cyberset fans will find this to their liking
as BLVD fit neatly into the established roster of artists
adding a new shade to the house sound. |
|
 |
|
------Heyoka
- Pineal Dub |
| STYLE |
|
Spacious
melodic dub electronica. Heyoka has a deeply psychedelic
sound full of squelches, blips, sonic flickers and all manner
of effected sine waves, corrosive synthetics and acidic
programming. Driven by huge, lumbering bass lines and gritty
programmed drumtracks Pineal Dub draws on elements of IDM,
glitch, downtempo and displaced hip hop binding them up
into a consistent dub framework, with a very low centre
of gravity. The overall sound is uncluttered, with repeating
phrases and tuneful snatches cycling, alternating and cross
layering. Naturally the keyboard stabs and echoed percussion
that mark the genre are present, but Heyoka brings something
of a dancefloor approach to the mix, promotional material
suggesting that the disc be filed under 'Downtempo, Dub,
Breakbeat, Grime and Dubstep'. |
| |
| MOOD |
|
The
most enduring impression throughout this album is one of cerebral
structures and visceral rhythms. The musical arrangements
are overtly synthetic, with an almost sci-fi palette of sounds
flung down in glitchy fragmentation and conscious dislocation,
but the beats are intuitive, nodding affairs with thudding
kicks and shattering hi hats. Pineal Dub clearly has a humorous
side, taking a playful approach to a number of pieces, not
taking things too seriously, yet never losing its cool. |
| |
| ARTWORK |
|
To
date I have just a print out of the front cover image for
this album designed by Victor Olenev. A deeply green alien
figure in DJ stance fills the main image bordered by more
layers of the same green. Maintaining a consistent hue, the
titles are the only other front cover details. |
| |
| OVERALL |
|
San
Francisco based Heyoka takes the name from the word in Lakota,
that means ‘contrarian’ - contrary one or the
‘sacred clown’. Their apparent foolishness raises
important questions by fooling around, others are thus helped
to think about things not usually thought about, or to look
at things in a different way. The Pineal Dub album is released
via the relatively new Muti
Music label and there are samples of the band website
at Myspace
where the music is aptly describes as "psytellgibientglitchdubwhomphop"
- with emphasis on the 'whomp' part I might add. |
| |
| WHO
WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM |
|
If
you enjoy dub you'll find this album worth checking out if
you enjoy a departure from the reggae roots of the genre in
favour of trancey psychedelia - but don't think that means
that the dub is by any means downplayed, this is one of the
deepest immersions into dub that I've heard in a while. |
|
 |
|
------Entheogenic
- Flight of the Urubus |
| STYLE |
|
Highly
polished downtempo psychedelic electronica. The latest offering
from this greatly loved act delves deeper into their personal
world of increasingly progressive chilled trance where carefully
collected digital ephemera and hypnotic synthesis blend
into a rich heady brew - a bewildering array of sonic colours
rising like mists from the mix. Wobbling synths, squirts
and light touches form the basis of much of the musical
framework along with strongly melodic basslines, these are
then overlaid with bright lead improvisations and abundant
effects. Among the meandering synthesiser lines are Indian
stick zithers, summery acoustic guitar work, acidic organ
keyboard slides and various ethnic gatherings. International
percussives and loops embellish the drum tracks whilst all
manner of vocal snatches slink out of the depths, spoken
phrases presented in conversation, international vocalisations,
monastic murmurs, some slightly creepy assemblages and even
some contributions from the musicians themselves. Entheogenic
continue to work the more upbeat end of the downtempo genre
- their beats energetic and invigorating enough for dancefloor
delivery whilst at the same time remaining low key enough
to be relaxing night time chill music. |
| |
| ARTWORK |
|
My
copy of Flight of the Urubus comes in a card envelop bearing
the legend "biodegradable eco sustainable edible packaging"
- I'm tempted to test this out - it does look good. The front
cover image drapes the Entheogenic logo across a circular
leave design - a gossamer white dove in caught in the act
of leaving the spot. Behind the colourful centre-piece is
a muted green woodland photograph that rolls across to the
rear of the package where a flowering cactus lurks improbably
in the shadows of the undergrowth. Here on the reverse is
a tracklist along with web details and brief production notes. |
| |
| OVERALL |
|
This
latest release Flight of the Urubus (a type of black vulture
I understand) comes as the fifth instalment in the Entheogenic
series - recorded between Brazil and the U.K.s Dorset. This
time the band departs from previous label Chillcode in favour
of Universal Symbiosis Records. U.K. born Piers Oak-Rhind
and Austrian Helmut Glavar use terms like coloristic electrophonics
and impressionistic orchestral-like to describe their music
- and the lovely choice of words 'ocean deep bass'. The
ten tracks here delve into atmospheric chill, mid-tempo
progressive, global-fusion and funky psychedelia. The updated
website contains sound samples so that you can get a feel
for the album before you buy it and you might also enjoy
checking out the B Sides music that can now be found at
Last
FM.
|
|
 |
|
------Sleepwalker
- Amenti |
| STYLE |
|
Timeless
world vocals and instrumental performance blended with smooth,
chilled electronica. Sleepwalker works the territory of romantic
electronica originally established by artists such as Deep
Forest and Enigma, however Amenti has a unique sound - Neo-classical,
strongly European and with a rolling cinematic breadth influenced
by global folklore and the imagery of distant civilisations.
Violin, guitars, piano and synthesisers work alongside more
exotic sound sources such walnut and cedar Native American
flutes, oud, timbals, djembe and ceramic bongos. Sweeping
strings frequently swell up adding an air of classical grandeur
that complements much of the vocal material. Singers deliver
operatic soprano performances, Native American chants and
European traditional vocalisations. |
| |
| MOOD |
|
The
mood of Amenti is mostly one of serene grandeur - whilst the
compositions are relaxing and mostly downtempo, there is also
a somewhat theatrical vibrancy to the music. Middle-Eastern
strumming and percussion bring a sense of exotic drama; soaring
vocals, harp-like plucks and airy violin strains carry the
listener heavenward; Native American flutes waft across complimentary
chants, environmental recordings underpin gentle hand drumming.
At times dreamy, sleepy - Sleepwalker soothes the mind, restful
and easy on the ear; at times stirring, more upbeat tinkling
piano phrases and electric guitar getting the foot tapping. |
| |
| ARTWORK |
|
Amenti
comes in a neat digipack with lush, evocative artwork. The
front cover shows a double row of ancient graven columns heavy
with shadow, backlit with a burst of sparking light emanating
from an unseen source somewhere behind the central structure.
Turning over, the rear holds a vignetted shot of more columns,
this time shot from below as though gazing up from underneath.
There is a tracklist here that is repeated inside with timings
alongside. The final outer panel of the pack contains a dual
language explanation of the project, whilst inside there is
a detailed credit list of vocalists, musicians and Sleepwalker's
own expansive contributions. |
| |
| OVERALL |
|
Amenti
is the second full length album from Bulgarian musician Lyubomir
Yordanov, in the interim between albums Sleepwalker also released
the single A Tear For Kursk. There is a marked development
in both style and production on this latest project - Lyubomir
delivers a polished, unique vision that is lifted above the
average by his own well crafted compositions as well as by
the involvement of so many other skilled contributors. The
updated Sleepwalker website is a visual delight with lots
to explore, containing plenty of information and sound samples
as well as a store should you wish to buy the album. This
project has just stepped up to a whole new level - give the
album a listen at CD
Baby. |
| |
| WHO
WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM |
|
Amenti
is fronted with the words 'Mystic, Enigmatic, Spiritual, giving
an idea of the audience aimed at. If you have enjoyed the
music of Sacred Spirit and Deep Forest's Boheme, you might
well appreciate this CD. |
|
 |
|
------Mara's
Torment - MT96061 |
| STYLE |
|
Subtle
dark ambience and deeply chilled grooves. MT96061 is a collection
of instrumental electronica that explores beatless and gently
rhythmic ambient soundscaping. Soft, breathy washes and wistfully
airy sweeps underlay rich synthetic chimes and occassional
lowkey arpeggios to create understated melodic themes that
gradually leek into the consciousness - soothing, restful
and hinting at rich mental imagery. Mara's Torment often draws
on inconspicuous repetition to impress his material on the
mind. There are a few programmed beats - blissfully soporific
affairs that lightly caress the musical content, lifting it
into meandering motion - downbeat, lazy. Peaceful and lulling,
at times drifting and circling like thermal currents in a
body of fluid. Some tracks are incredibly beautiful - although
the tone is somewhat dark, this is an inviting darkness -
no sense of menace here. |
| |
| ARTWORK |
|
I
have a promotional copy of this CD in a slimline jewel case.
The front cover artwork forms a double page spread with the
back cover - curling mermaid/merman figures hang suspended
in deep blue water. Male and female - her in the security
of a dreamy caress, him reaching a hand above the surface
where the pair's tails entwine into a heart before the moon.
The rear section contains a tracklist and a peculiar aquatic
bird peering through a big round hole in its own body. |
| |
| OVERALL |
|
MT96061
is a retrospective album highlighting ten years of music
from Rik Maclean otherwise known as Mara's Torment. The
album comes as a special limited edition double disc collection
of unreleased tracks, compilation work, and classics. There
are some new tracks here as well as some previously unreleased
items and outtakes - all surprisingly united and coherent
for work collected over such an extended period. Rik desrcibes
his music as "the sounds that subway cars make on rainy
days, the sound of when you're holding hands with somebody
you've just met, walking on the way back to their place,
the noises you hear on the morning after the night before
when you're still asleep and you don't have to wake up for
at least another hour, the way your cat purrs when she's
happy to see you've come home after a long day away from
home, the sounds of secret smiles and solopsisms and truths
and lies and a million other mysteries..." - this choice
of words hints at the dreamy vision-inducing approach taken
by Mara's Torment.
|
|
