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------Max
Richter - 24 Postcards In Full Colour |
| STYLE |
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Neoclassical
snapshots and fleeting electronic/orchestral soundscapes.
Bringing together graceful pianos, elegant strings, distorted
guitars and grainy electronic textures, Max Richter presents
a series of wistful musical impressions that are tantalisingly
ephemeral. The arrangements are delicate, sophisticated, intimate
and at times desperately beautiful. Ranging from simple classical
piano solos through lush violins, violas and cellos into gitchy
static and fractured audio interference – there is a
sense of the everyday seen from just the right angle, of life
in routine given pause for transcendence. The ‘postcards’
of the artwork are almost monochrome just faint tints of colour
washed through the neutrals and this choice of visuals carries
back and forth from the eye to the ear suggesting complimentary
urban greys for the musical elements. Very contemporary yet
drawing on the timeless qualities of the classical instruments
employed 24 Postcards In Full Colour releases its faded hues
sparingly, masterfully. |
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| ARTWORK |
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This
jewel case package is tastefully laid out with plenty of black
and grey – images of heavy light filtering in from thick
skies. The front cover carries a grungy view of a city skyline
seen from the window of a gloomy interior. The back cover
is flat black with regular white text – twenty four
titles in two columns. Inside we find an eight page booklet.
Three double page spreads are devoted to arrangements of square
photographs – four to a page, eight to a view, twenty
four in all, visual accompaniments to the music. Windows from
within, from without, up close, afar – sometimes themselves
the centre of focus, sometimes merely frames for other subjects
– almost black and white but not quite. The back panel
of the booklet presents instrumental credits, recording details
and website addresses. A single thank you. |
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| OVERALL |
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This
is a delightful album that grabbed my attention from the first
time I heard it, leaving no doubt that I must request it for
review at Morpheus. Coming from Edinburgh based pianist/composer
Max Richter the concept behind the album is robust and intriguing
– brief ring tone length compositions aimed at a gallery
audience as well as the home listener. Promotional material
explains "The première is intended to be in the
form of a series of installations where pre-registered audience
members switch on their phones to receive SMS messages, each
message alert playing back one or more of the tracks, so making
up the performance. As Max explains: “Thinking about
how we listen to music today, I wondered why it is that ringtones
have so far been treated as unfit for creative music…
Who says ringtones have to be bad?.. It’s like saying
LPs or CDs are bad – its just a medium….”
There is a strong European aesthetic to the sound despite
titles like ‘A Sudden Manhattan of the Mind’ –
a truly gorgeous track of darkly disturbed electronica and
beautiful, beautiful violin. Good postcards often are designed
to make the recipient wish they were ‘here’ –
this album achieves this time and again, the scant glimpses
of lovely sonic scenes and moody city sketches pulling you
in, touching the heart like a brief acquaintance - then they’re
gone leaving you wishing for more, wishing you were ‘here’.
The label is U.K. based Fat Cat Records and there is a specially
established website
opened in tandem with the album release, hosting 24 photographic
images, one accompanying each track. |
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------Darshan
Ambient - From Pale Hands To Weary Skies |
| STYLE |
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Soft ambience
with gentle rhythmic grooves. From Pale Hands To Weary Skies
is an album of muted sonic hues and understated melodies.
As if faded through emotional intensity Darshan Ambient lays
down dreamy washes of tone with overlaid themes that work
somewhere in between the warmth of subtle melodies and the
transportational simplicity of gently varying drones. At times
beatless and drifting, airy piano touching the surface, then
rhythmic almost blissful, ethnic percussion amid programmed
beat structures. The tracks here often have a sense of faint
distance about them – as if experienced in a semi-waking
state … uncertain voices repeating like barely grasped
thoughts, mists of reverb obscuring detail, lazy patterns
forming and dispersing. Attractive music, deleriously serene
and very, very restful. |
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| ARTWORK |
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A
jewel case holds this album and its closely themed artwork.
Imagery inspired by the work of Yves Tanguy fills most panels
– brushed planes of pale colour inhabited by globular
forms curving into embrace or cradled in supportive intimacy.
The imagery calls to mind the hospital hues and bed clothes
of the artist’s personal experience whilst forming the
music. Behind the CD lurks a gloomy photograph of suspended
clinical fluid sacs with descending tubes and plastic valves
all heavily vignetted to blackness – uneasy and in stark
contrast to the surrounding serenity. On the reverse in small
font is a timed tracklist . The fold-out sleeve insert contains
an explanation of the development of the music, revealing
some of the fuel behind the emotional depth to this album.
The innermost spread contains a heartfelt section of appreciation,
credits and website info. The CD is dedicated to Nicky Allison
– evidently a devoted wife. |
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| OVERALL |
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From
Pale Hands to Weary Skies is the ninth album from Darshan
Ambient. This time released via Lotuspike, the artist says
that he considers this to be his strongest work to date. Sleeve
notes explain that during the process of creation, the artist
suffered a severe health crisis resulting in a stay in intensive
care – comatose. The original concept rooted in the
artwork of Yves Tanguy blossomed into creative intensity during
recovery. As Michael himself says “it was as though
the floodgates had been blown wide open … as though
it were writing itself”. The music has a powerful consistency
about it – a constant thread, an ever-present diffused
light, reassuring uplifting. Watch out for the Darshan Ambient
retrospective album also from Lotuspike. |
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------Alpha
Wave Movement - Terra |
| STYLE |
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Expansive,
atmospheric, melodic ambient electronica. Terra is a delicate
album of graceful synth music that features elegant piano
lines, bright wispy electro chimes, bowl-like phrases and
broad tonal swells as the main voices, supported by fine washes
and twinkling textures. Synthetic strings keen and swell,
fine gossamer threads and films of sound run one into another
whilst melodic arpeggios and meandering scales wander over
the surface. The depth and intensity of the music ranges from
silken stratospheric strains and airstreams to crepuscular
drone banks and glimmering twilight ripples. In places simple
bass phrases pulse indolently beneath the gently heaving liquid
of the drones and breezy sequential structures, but not for
long - much of the music too skyward looking and gliding to
be bound and grounded by such low frequencies. |
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| MOOD |
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The
strictly electronic sonic sources for Terra make for a clean,
spacious sound that suggests the clarity and tranquillity
of dawn, the subtle shifting hues of early evening. Alpha
Wave Movement builds tracks around digital synthesizers
and MIDI equipment influenced by natural landscapes and
scenic photography - here, more than ever I've felt that
connection with the earth from Gregory's compositions. A
sense of comfortable solitude pervades much of the album,
almost plaintive in places, but more generally reflective,
calm - enjoying the mental vistas conjured up by this delightfully
understated soundscaping. |
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| ARTWORK |
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Terra
arrives in a jewel case with a crimson/pink sunset photograph
centred between smooth horizontal black borders. Randomly
strewn, partially submerged rocks punctuate the stillness
of a mirror-like body of water - dark curves contrasting the
brightness of sky and water. On the back of the disc is a
large landscape image once again featuring a motionless lake,
with three small scenes laid out to the extreme left. Track
titles hang in the blue of the sky - simple, white. Within
is a single sheet insert that provides an explanation of the
project and its limited edition DVD origins. Here too, brief
credits and website details. |
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| OVERALL |
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Terra
is the latest in a rapidly expanding discography from self
taught composer/arranger Gregory Kyryluk under the title Alpha
Wave Movement. This release comes to us via the artist's own
Harmonic Resonance Recordings (H.R.R.). Originally conceived
as music for a limited edition DVD, now with a bonus track,
Terra Infinitus, this release seeks to make this attractive
suite of tracks available to a much wider audience. Alpha
Wave Movement has been around now since 1992, much of the
project's output influenced by Berlin school synth music -
however, this disc sees a much less strident approach than
say 2003's Cosmology. Here is less rhythmic content, no beats
and less of a spacey feel - instead dreamy themes and blissful
oceanic undulations. |
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| WHO
WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM |
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Terra
is the lighter more ambient side of Alpha Wave Movement
- plenty to hold the attention, yet eminently easy on the
ear, soft enough to induce drowsiness. If you enjoy ambient
music with ever so slight touches of early German synth
influences - Terra should be on your list. Hear the tracks
at CD
Baby. |
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------Carmen
Rizzo - Ornament of an Imposter |
| STYLE |
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Highly
polished electronic underground groove with plenty of female
vocals. Carmen Rizzo creates velvet smooth electronic backdrops
with something of an urban club feel driven by some very contemporary
beats that inhabit the mid/down tempo bpm range. Across these
tasty sonic vistas come a series of intimate and individual
vocal performances (mostly female) from singers Kate Havnevik,
Jem, David Lehnberg and Elin Lindfors (The Deer Tracks) and
Duncan Attwood (Blueneck) - often the voices are recorded
so as to appear close and personal, Elin Lindfors wistful,
dreamy, almost whispering. A number of instrumental tracks
appear among the songs such as the languid dance floor piece
Falling into Place with distant reverberating piano hanging
over driving rhythms, the fleeting The Rest of Us once more
with that haunting piano, but here little more than an interlude
and build up to Sirens - and then the album concludes with
three instrumentals in a row - very dreamy and emotive, Through
the Sunlight is beautiful, blissful downtempo, Not Enough
builds slowly around a flickering, glitchy beat into a pacey
atmospheric piece of attractive mood music, the concluding
Victrola breaking away into crackling, peculiar, soporific
nostalgia. |
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| ARTWORK |
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Ornament
of an Imposter comes in a sharp digipack cover. A slightly
grey blue hue covers all panels in even simplicity. Outlines
of leaves on stretching twigs trails across the flat surfaces
in complimentary shades - elegant, uncluttered. The front
cover just delivers the title among the foliage - upright
and inverted. On the rear is a tracklist and a cool, muted
portrait of the artist. Here too is a promise to donate 10%
of all sales to a different charity each month, website address
also. Opening up we have a credit list and generous thanks.
The various singers and collaborating musicians are detailed
here with extra note given to Jamie Muhoberac who shared in
the writing, recording and performance of the album. |
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| OVERALL |
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Ornament
of an Imposter comes as the follow-up to Carmen Rizzo's
debut solo album The Lost Art Of The Idle Moment and is
released on his own Electrofone Music label. Although most
will know that this by no means implies that Carmen has
been musically unoccupied in the intervening period - this
two-time GRAMMY Nominee appears among the credits for such
notables as Coldplay, Delerium, Paul Oakenfold, BT, Tiesto,
Ryuichi Sakamoto, etc, etc, etc as producer, mixer, remixer,
musician, and co-writer. He also composed the score for
Michael Apted's movie "The Power of the Game".
As if all of this wasn't enough electronic world fusion
favourites Niyaz just released their second album and guess
what Carmen is co-founder and member of this project too
along with singer Azam Ali and musician Loga Ramin Torkian.
That said Ornament of an Imposter doesn't give the impression
of an album thrown together in the spaces to simply demonstrate
Carmen's personal talents - no, this is a strong disc with
plenty of heart and individuality where the artist's own
vision flourishes delightfully. Listen to it at CD
Baby. |
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------Earth
Drum - David and Steve Gordon |
| STYLE |
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Global
beats and world instruments blend with the soothing sounds
of guitar and synth. As the title indicates Earth Drum features
hand drumming using percussive instruments sourced from all
over the planet - thick Mexican thuds, low booming African
dun dun drums, resonant Native American thumps, talking drums,
shakers, frame drums. These are skillfully played to create
evocative tribal beats that stir the imagination conjuring
up visions of far off places and distant times. For the most
part the compositions are relaxing affairs, the rhythms downtempo
despite their frequent intensity and supported in this mood
by the choice of instrumentation - airy flutes lines and breathy
pan pipes taking the lead; lush synthesiser washes, basses
and guitars keeping everything warm. |
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| ARTWORK |
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This
double disc package comes in a hinged jewel case with generous
artwork and abundant information. On the front a clever photomontage
features a tribal drum the skin of which is a stretched section
of the earth. A hand print pushes out at the viewer with an
energy mirrored by the stick figures on the background playing
flute and drum. On the reverse as well as the track list is
a brief explanation of the project and a note that a portion
of the proceeds from the album will be donated to the Rain
Forest Action Network. The insert within folds out into five
panels brimming with reading material. Each track is discussed
in detail - the imagery for the music, the ideas and techniques
alongside photographs of the players and their instruments.
Credits include a full list of each type of drum employed
and references to the albums from which each piece was originally
drawn. David and Steve list their thanks and website addresses
on a final panel. |
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| OVERALL |
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Earth
Drum is a rather special album from the Sequoia label - The
25th Anniversary Collection, Vol. 1. Part of Sequoia’s
new "Music and Vision" series, this is a multi-media
double disc release. To celebrate the occasion, the Gordon
brothers have looked back over a twenty five year career to
pull together some percussive highlights showcasing their
love of ethnic music and the richness of beaten skins. Eight
tracks of tranquil, inviting music along with a free DVD are
presented as the result. The visuals are in the form of breathtaking
sceneries slowly unfolding before the eye - lush forests clothed
with dense mosses, immense canyons and dramatic rock formations,
heaving rivers and mist shrouded falls, panoramic plains,
rolling ocean waves. Whether this package comes to you as
an introduction to David and Steve Gordon's music or as a
familiar highlights album, you won't disappointed, it seems
that every effort has been put into making this a quality
release jam packed with written, musical and visual content. |
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------Ishq
- Timelapse in Mercury |
| STYLE |
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The
distinctive liquid synthetic sound of Virtual. Timelapse
in Mercury contains a series of sound zones, ambient environments
- musical compositions where melody, regularity and rhythm
are secondary aspects. Layered electronica is delivered
in lush, complex arrangements where smooth drones flow in
serene currents or oceanic undulation and repeating phrases
waft gently establishing hypnotic familiarities - these
are overlaid with twinkling sparkles of sound and fleeting
consonant patterns. There are no beats on the album but
the music is not completely without rhythm, the repetition
of certain cycling motifs build some lazy swaying regularities
in places before breaking off into meandering freeform.
Although much of the album is bright and lucid there are
deeper pools here where, for a while, the bottom is hard
to make out - thicker tones more density to the lower frequencies.
Ishq seems to be peering into endlessness here, contemplating
the enormity of existence, creating immense mindspace. |
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| ARTWORK |
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In Virtual tradition this is a jewel case
release with everything laid out on flat white ground. Clean
simple panels hold a range of discs, frames and lines filled
with intriguing scenes - tiny windows into other places.
Alien symbols are interspersed among the imagery and text
- cuniform dashes, angles and ticks. An English language
tracklist appears inside the package for those unfamiliar
with the Ishq script along with recording details. The innermost
panels open out to reveal more arcane symbols and a pair
of graphic windows - icy blue, looking out onto frozen landscapes.
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| OVERALL |
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Timelapse in Mercury is the fourth Virtual release and billed
as the first in a new deeper series entitled Virtual Space,
which the label explains 'will be released alongside the
virtualworld series'. This album was actually written some
time back under the Ishq title about a month prior to the
release of Orchid in 2001. The artist is Cornwall based
Matt Hillier who is fast building a reputation for engrossing
and very individual electronic music. Promotional material
points out that although this album found its way onto the
web some time ago in somewhat rough and ready mp3 format,
the original masters have been reworked here with more layers
added, the result being "a deep and spacious exploration
into the slightly darker and cosmic inspired soundscapes
of Ishq". That catches it well - Timelapse is certainly
more shadowy than much of the Ishq/Elve/Ishvara output.
The music here is on the ambient end of the Virtual spectrum
too - floatational, drifting and less earthbound than much
of the other material. Certainly one for headphones - dip
into these unfolding without expecting to be supported by
obvious frameworks, let the irregular currents catch you,
carry you, leave you becalmed. Don't miss it - this is a
limited edition of 500 copies. |
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