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----------Deborah
Martin / Erik Wøllo - Between Worlds |
| STYLE |
|
Between Worlds is a gentle
album of subtle melodic music fusing contemporary synths
and programming techniques with organic field recordings
and performance material. The voices and instrumental sounds
of American Indian musicians are sensitively involved so
that they form a central thread without dominating the compositions.
Often placed deep within the mix, the approach here is not
to form synthetic backdrops to catchy indigenous samples
or to deliver original songs with a bit of digital enhancement.
Here modern sounds and forms are of equal import: electro
grooves with distant, scratchy chants and flutes; atmospheric
drones with hand drumming and shaker percussion; ambient
soundscapes and rhythmic mouth bow; drifting melodic themes
haunted by intriguing fragments now well over a hundred
years old. Between Worlds is surely one of the most sensitive
projects to convey these instantly familiar iconic sound
forms in an electronic context to date. |
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| ARTWORK |
|
Montaged
imagery in earthy tones hints at a fading culture and pattern
of belief. The front cover image overlays shadows of trees
upon pots and bowls and the top of a tee pee. This piece runs
across to the back of the folded insert where similar elements
centre around an ethereal figure that initially is barely
perceived - an American Indian musician. The rear of the package
delivers a tracklist with times for each piece along with
Spotted Peccary logo and website address. Within is a set
of photographs showing historical locations and musicians
Credits are detailed and respectfully presented acknowledging
the artists' debt to the communities that they have sought
to sonically explore. |
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| OVERALL |
|
The latest 2009
release from the Spotted Peccary label delivers a collaborative
project from two well respected electronic recording artists
Deborah Martin and Erik Wøllo. This collection of
twelve pieces features partial segments of cylinder recordings
from the late 1800s - Omaha and Kiowa Indian voices thick
with time. Current onsite recordings of Apache drums and
songs as well as other genuine performance elements maintain
the musical balance, with Deborah Martin providing vocals,
synths, Taos drums and percussion and Erik Wøllo
bringing further synths and programming. Steve Roach is
credited with having provided additional synths and atmospheres
for a number of tracks. This sound bridge between worlds
seeks to illustrate something of American Indian belief
whilst deftly presenting a rich heritage that made a connection
with the earth strikingly different from that of much of
today's society. |
|
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----------Longing
For Orpheus - OtherSong |
| STYLE |
|
Relaxing
new age and chilled melodic instrumentals. OtherSong has
a lush serenity about it that increasingly absorbs the listener
as the album unfolds - laid back beats combining programmed
grooves and acoustic enhancements propelling dreamy melodies.
The mellow themes are primarily of well selected synthetic
sound, multi-layered lines buoyed upon smooth pads with
additional multi-national samples sensitively entwined.
Pianos, flutes, harp, erhu and pipa along with other exotic
instruments constantly grab the attention and keep the colours
bright and strong. Ethnic drums such as djeme, bodhran and
shakers are employed to bring emphatic levels to the beats,
the occasional electronic glitch and subtle sequencer pattern
adding further depth. |
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| MOOD |
|
For
the most part the mood here is one of optimistic tranquillity
- even when the tempos lift somewhat, the hypnotic nature
of the music remains. The album explores a range of genres
from the balearic slant of EverSoul through the more overtly
worldbeat NeverTale and UmbraStory to the progressive electronic
ForestWake. That said - the listener would likely not spot
any obvious shift in style since the whole package has a strong
unifying identity that runs throughout the whole album. |
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| ARTWORK |
|
OtherSong
comes in a jewelcase with single sheet insert. The limited
palette of liquid blue and lilac creates a tasteful front
cover - smooth sky and sharp blossom with simple title font.
The rear cover presents a similar sky, this time with faint
puffs of white cloud, bright copper leaves in foreground.
The tracklist runs down the right side. Flipping the insert
over; the thematic content is maintained with more vivid flora
alongside a second tracklist. Here too are brief credits and
website details with a suggestion that album notes can be
found at the artist's site. |
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| OVERALL |
|
Longing
For Orpheus is the solo project of classically trained US
musician Derek Smootz. With its origin back in 2003, the project
experimented with music influenced by the likes of Enigma
and Vangelis. A debut album was released in 2006 entitled
Skye making OtherSong the second full length CD currently
on offer. According to the official website Derek is also
involved in various side projects such as Artificial Emotion
(dance-oriented) and Ice Queen Alias (synthpop). He performs
with various choirs and theatres in the Austin area, and maintains
the "After Enigma" online guide to Nu Ambient music.
The new album can be heard at the Longing
For Orpheus website. |
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| WHO
WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM |
|
This
is music for forgetting your cares and enjoying the moment.
OtherSong has that fairytale dreaminess found in Amethystium
and will likely appeal to fans of enigmatic music. Well suited
as background sound - but a joy to experience on headphones
too. |
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| SOUND |
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----------Mythos
- Gallery Concerts |
| STYLE |
|
Live electronic wizardry woven
into a non-stop mix. Mythos here presents the Gallery Concerts
recorded live before an enthusiastic crowd of EM fans from
all over Western Germany on August 29th 2009. The familiar
sounds from previous albums well up in new form as Stephan
Kaske allows his synths to meander around his strong melodic
themes with an increased ambient improvisational approach.
The crystal clear synths ring sharp and distinct in all
their various layered forms whilst flute, electronic bagpipes
and vocoder add further depths of sensitivity. The beats
are strident and firm, even when allowed to dissipate and
lighten, the measured certainty of their structures remains,
bolstered by the constant ripple and cycle of morphing sequencer
patterns. Gallery Concerts reveals something of the mastery
that Stephan Kaske has over his musical form - whereas some
live concerts become rambling and loose, Stephan avoids
these pitfalls deftly. Instead this hands on performance
enhances the emotive content and exploratory interludes
to great effect. |
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| ARTWORK |
|
A
stark monochrome approach is taken to deliver this jewel
case presentation. An angular edifice shot from a low view
point rises in symmetrical grandeur on the front cover -
few details, heavy texture. A detail from a similar image
bisects the rear, titles, credits and recording information
to one side. The two panel insert opens up to reveal a second
half to the cover graphic - a dark gargoyle dragon semi-transparent
and a single scarlet square. Flipping the sheet we find
a gear list, website info and brief credits laid out on
the left side whilst a black and white photograph on the
right displays some of the essential Mythos kit.
|
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| OVERALL |
|
The impressive
Mythos catalogue broadens with this 'back to his roots'
live CD. The album arrives with a Gallery Concert at the
open air famous Grugapark in Essen, Germany and will be
followed up with appearances at several Galleries, EM-Concerts
and Vernissages. The music was all recorded in real time
without the use of on stage PC control, instead utilizing
hardware sequencers to drive the evolving sounds. This method
allowed the artist the opportunity to improvise and develop
emergent structures as well as space for solo performances
using voice effects and flute. Stephan tells us that the
initial presentation was very well received with, as he
puts it, "Lots of happy faces, 2 times "we want
more" and a hundred sold and signed GALLERY CONCERTS
albums."
|
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|
----------Various
Artists - Imaginary Friends |
| STYLE |
|
Sensitive
electronic arrangements with dreamy, classical grace. Nova
has collected together an exquisite album where artists new
and old deliver a series of understated, elegant compositions
touched with a rare melancholy beauty that gradually evolves
as the various pieces unfold. Beginning with beatless piano
and strings, the opener from Field Rotation sets a high standard.
This neo-classical grace is picked up in the next track, enhanced
here with electronic touches and faint glitch groove. Further
pieces gradually see greater emphasis on beat and structure
whilst maintaining the initial delicate sensibility - by track
six from Cell the tone has moved more into experimental, downtempo
trance, a development maintained by a subsequent series of
Ultimae regulars perhaps peaking with the restrained intensity
of Asura's Longing For Silence. James Murray concludes the
set with Eleven (Decades Mix), a restful airy beat and almost
ambient theme. |
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| MOOD |
|
Imaginary
Friends has the mood just right. I have to confess I was hoping
initially for more along the lines of the opening tracks (having
recently developed an only partially sated hunger for glitchy
neo-classical electronica thanks partly to Nova) - yet putting
aside my own desires each piece here actually contributes
to an unfolding journey of exceptional refinement. The somewhat
non-lonely isolationist melancholia that wells up with aching
beauty through the first half of the album is complemented
well by the exploratory chillout of the latter half. The track
Gently, Drown the Scene from Offthesky is a gorgeous passage
- solemn, serene and blissfully transporting. Murya also deliver
a quality piece with the soft focus melody of Gray Daze -
sleepy, lovely and quite enchanting. |
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| ARTWORK |
|
Imaginary
Friends comes in a three panel digipack of glossy shadow,
a sixteen page booklet caught in a neat slot within. The luxurious
black borders of this package are lit up alternately with
curling flames, cave mouth openings and bright text. Inside
geometries of photo images present the peacefulness of solitude
in varied guises. A page per track inside the booklet allows
for generous pictorial accompaniment - each shot with credits
and poetic verse. Thanks are reserved for the final sheet
with contact and website details appearing on the back. |
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| OVERALL |
|
Nova
has delivered some incredible compilations for Ultimae over
recent years. The delightful Albedo back in 2005 setting
a very high standard and the online streaming mix Things
She Left Behind of equal charm. This current album sees
the label's big names Aes Dan, Hol Bauman, Solar Fields,
Cell and Asura providing the more groove centred arrangements
with rising star James Murray, Murya, Offthesky and Kevin
Andrew filling out the more fluid sections. There is a remix
of the Rena Jones classic Photosynthesis, Nalepa having
retained sufficient thematic material within his repacking
whilst almost completely redefining the character of the
original. Ultimae promotional material includes Nova's thoughts
on the project: "With Imaginary Friends I've wanted
to speak about solitude but not seen as alienation, disillusionment
or isolationism. Loneliness somehow involves the release
of human spirit and the consequent building of a new paradigm.
Personal moments, like to plug in a pair of headphones and
go for a walk in a park, sitting in a café watching
passers by or when writing a poem. Poetry is not a simple
form of art, no matter what language is. It requires some
skill, a bit of logic, and lots of heart: it's about intensity,
like ambient music." |
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| WHO
WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM |
|
If
you enjoy beautiful acoustic-electronic blends with wistful
serenity then you could do little better than to go for a
Nova mix - Imaginary Friends being a top-notch example. Albedo
fans will love this collection - stream the sample here
if you need more convincing. |
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| AUDIO |
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----------Sleepthief
- Labyrinthine Heart |
| STYLE |
|
Lush,
romantic array of heavenly voices and electro-acoustic soundscapes.
Labyrinthine Heart lays down its statement of intent with
the striking opening track Here I Confess: a sweeping piece
of nigh orchestral grandeur, elegant strings, passionate
piano, richly layered vocal beds and a singing style that
has soundtrack expansiveness with hints of folk sensitivity.
Sure enough, the pace picks up with the following piece
and periodically throughout the album as Sleepthief draws
on a number of genres from pop electronica through moody
downtempo with a gothic edge to Deleriumesque baroque ethereal
excursions. Nevertheless this release sees Sleepthief more
fully defining the project's unique focus around a blend
of classical breadth and cutting edge programmed sound with
a strong traditional pastoral and celtic aesthetic. Often
melancholy and nostalgic, at times shadowy, moody, in places
upbeat and dynamic - Labyrinthine Heart tightens the identity
of the project nicely without any sacrificing of variety. |
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| MOOD |
|
The
mood throughout Labyrinthine Heart ranges from swelling
emotional outpourings devoid of any accompanying beats to
the restrained joy of cool electro-pop rooted in 80s synth
music. That said the unifying tone is mostly one of epic,
cinematic soundscaping with a greater complexity than that
of The Dawnseeker, haunted still by the distinct and powerful
personalities of some of the moment's most beautifully emotive
individuals. |
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| ARTWORK |
|
Dark,
grainy photomontages adorn every surface of this sumptuous
digipack and its enclosed booklet. The artist appears adorned
in a black highwayman's flowing coat and three cornered hat
clutching an antique bird cage with barely discernable white
dove. Trees and countryside structures provide backdrops that
fade into textured grungy obscurity at the edges whilst the
narrative juxtaposition of birds both caged and free in flight
is played out in the foreground. A full tracklist is found
on the back cover with vocalists listed alongside. The inner
booklet provides complete lyrics and credits with a track
per page layout. A poetic composition by Michael Leonard introduces
the songs whilst the pages conclude with a hazy double spread
image of the artist and a generous array of thanks and appreciation. |
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| OVERALL |
|
Sleepthief's
Justin Elswick presents the second Sleepthief album Labyrinthine
Heart three years after the debut Dawnseeker, as before
via Neurodisc Records. Sleepthief pretty much hit the ground
running with a stunning debut that any artist would find
hard to follow, but this successor definitely keeps pace
- a slight refining of emphasis, but more essentially Sleepthief
than ever; which is surely a good thing as any major change
of direction often loses all that the fans prize about a
project. Born and raised in Southern California, full-time
attorney Justin takes on pretty much all duties of songwriter
and composer in collaboration with the talented vocalists
on the album. Additional musical contributions come from
guitarists Vik Levak (Balligomingo, Viia) and Joshua Aker
whilst Israel Curtis is again credited with production,
arranging, orchestration, programming, mixing and mastering
input. Joanna Stevens, Coury Palermo, Kirsty Hawkshaw, Jody
Quine, Zoe Johnston, Kristy Thirsk, Caroline Levelle, and
Roberta Carter Harrison are the chosen voices - many will
be immediately familiar to lovers of the genre. The closing
track is a cover of Russ Ballard's I Know There's Something
Going on (originally recorded by Abba's Anni-Frid Lyngstad
(Frida) back in 1982. There is also a moving duet entwining
the complementary voices of Coury Palermo and Zoë Johnston
- Reason Why (intended as a single). |
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| WHO
WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM |
|
If
you enjoyed The Dawnseeker, the chances are you will be
entranced by Labyrinthine Heart - especially if you appreciate
Sleepthief's more romantic, pastoral side. Fans of Balligomingo,
Delerium, Conjure One and Blue Stone will surely find plenty
to enjoy here too. |
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----------Terra
Del Sol - The Essential Collection |
| STYLE |
|
Global
electronic chillout instrumentals with occasional female vocals.
The tracks here are a mixture of instrumental and vocal arrangements.
Smooth synth strains and atmospheric pads drift across deftly
constructed airy beats that feature some smooth drum and bass
patterns as well as languid downtempo dance grooves. Organ
patterns, sax meanderings and electric guitar phrases provide
thematic content on a number of tracks whilst soft feminine
phrases waft on the breeze creating a tranquil lounge feel.
In other places international instrumentation creates a more
distant exoticism oriental gamelan underpinning Indian violin
work or Chinese erhu and hand drumming alternating with rich
synthetic chimes. A somewhat higher tempo and bass throb accompany
sensuous spoken words of the club oriented Je Danse, however,
for the most part the beats are restful and deeply chilled
sometimes even giving way to the night time ambience of crickets. |
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| MOOD |
|
The
mood here is mostly one of Mediterranean sunshine chill although
Indian and oriental elements tug the mind further eastward
at times. There is a pervasive relaxed dreaminess that calls
to mind warm shores and fresh air, Terra Del Sol eminently
true to the title. The Terra Del Sol title tracks fuses some
tribal percussion and dance beats introduced by a montage
of African choruses and solo vocals. |
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| ARTWORK |
|
The
promotional package that I have includes front cover artwork
built primarily around the Terra Del Sol title itself. Below
the blocked font a tangled procession of tinted aquatic forms
rolls in pastel hues, curling tentacles entwined. On the reverse
is a tracklist running down the right with associated timings
for each piece, writing credits listed below. On the left
half are three small photographs of the artists footed by
details of their contributions to the project. |
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| OVERALL |
|
Terra Del Sol is the music of musician and
label manager Alberto Hauss on keyboards and Spanish guitar
and Christophe Garnerone providing percussion and harmonica.
The Essential Chill Collection features the vocal talents
of Maria Sanchez and Lalu. This current release is delivered
via the UK's Tantajo Records, label subsidiary of German
based Tantajo Studios, known for its ambient, downbeat and
lounge output. This is a quality album of intense chillout
music that would work well as a blissed out backdrop to
that perfect evening or equally, Terra Del Sol provide sufficient
detail and melody to reward headphone experience. |
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| WHO
WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM |
|
This
album seems most ideally suited to fans of balearic chill.
If you enjoyed Alberto Hausse's La Tienda Mediterranean Ambiance
then this will be right up your street. Cafe Del Mar lovers
will likely enjoy the vibe here too. |
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