 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
|
July/August 2007 reviews (A-Z)
Artist: Alpha Wave Movement
It wouldn’t be accurate to call this an album of out-takes. Its more a case of some genuinely good unreleased tracks that didn’t quite fit the albums Gregory Kyrluk aka Alpha Wave Movement was recording at the time. That period is 2001-2006, by which time this American composer was already well established as one of the most gifted and sensitive exponents of electronic spacemusic in the old-school style. As an album it’s not entirely cohesive and I’m guessing it’s not supposed to be. What it does show is the composer’s deft hand at different styles of spacey electronic ambience: the melodic celestial throb of the Berlin-school, the romanticism of Vangelis, drifting environmental soundscapes with a cosmic air. Even when Kyrluk steps beyond expected rhythm patterns on the deeply gorgeous "Solar Dub" the gliding synth below and sparkling arpeggio above make the track unmistakably his own. All up this a varied and engaging collection which avoids the spacemusic-lite that marred parts of its predecessor Beyond Silence (2005). A must for longtime fans and a decent intro for newbies. Rating: 4/5
Artist: Amongst Myselves
The third album from composer Steve Roberts aka Amongst Myselves continues a kind of tradition among Australian electronic composers that's been with us since the late 1980's. Its mostly old-school ambience made with cutting-edge technology, drawing inspiration from landscapes around the globe to create airy, slightly melancholy tone poems with an unerring sense of wide open space. Auburn Silhouette comes over quite dark without being actually grim. Pieces that border on atonal like "Munstead Heath" still compel attention thanks to a creative use of environmental samples and sound effects. Two slow rock jams are quite lovely although jarring in context. Dark tribal ambience gets a look in on "Southern Lights" and the ambitious ten-minute drone piece "Up Into The Air" includes episodes of acoustic guitar, electric piano and vocodered voice. As an album it struggles to hang together but track-by-track its worth investigation. Rating: 3/5
Artist: General Fuzz
If more producers doing ambient breakbeat (Sasha, for example) lived in sun-kissed San Francisco and jammed regularly with live musos they might sound like this. But they don’t, which means General Fuzz still has this sound all to himself. As with his previous CD it sounds surprisingly organic despite the drum machines. Many tracks start tentatively as if this was the first time he and his collaborators had played them, yet they yield fully-fleshed-out ideas. He builds his elastic, funky grooves with a mixture of programming, composition and improvised jamming, the drum patterns usually being fattened with the rapid patter of Indian tabla. Thrown into the mix in various combinations is synth, guitar, bass, trumpet, Hammond Organ, strings, various pianos and some sensual female ooh-ing and arr-ing. Cool Aberrations is sunny and tuneful throughout and, whatever the tempo, these soft-edged grooves remain swathed in the composer's trademark California glow. Rating: 3.5/5
Artist: Manitou
Listening to the the debut album from Detroit artist Manitou is like lying back on the grass in the countryside for 70 minutes and watching the clouds. Its a beautiful day, there's a light breeze and clouds of all shapes are slowly passing in and out of your field of vision. The wandering, sighing, gently morphing tones of his beatless ambience suggests Brian Eno's environmental milestone On Land (1982), re-imagined as something resembling the quiet passages of a Romantic symphony. Creative track titles include "Listening To Classical Music Sipping Tea On Your Veranda" and "Snowy Night Riding The People Mover". With its blurred edges and soft-focus this music sounds very pastoral to my ears even though the titles are mostly urban-themed. It's far removed from the the aching urban melancholy of the Detroit Escalator Company's ambient techno, for example. But having never visited the Motor City, what would I know? Whatever images the music creates in your mind this gorgeously packaged CD is well worth repeated spins. Rating: 3.5/5
Artist: Slowdisk
What wonderful, delicate, strangely human music this is. The debut album of Dutch duo Slowdisk is what you might call psychedelic but not in the dense, trancey headrush sense of the word. Love When We Are is exploratory and surreal in a gentle and child-like way. Lovely passages of guitar strumming and folksy arpeggios come and go. Odd electronic squiggles weave in an out, as do gliding organ and harmonium. Some lightly sketched percussion patterns add a touch of gravity to proceedings. The odd but sweet vocal phrasings often defy description beyond a certain similarity to Laurie Anderson. The duo's experimental forays are never abrasive, kept in check by simple melodies and a very reflective pace. In fact the respect shown for silence and "the spaces in between" is crucial to the overall feel. As a production piece the album's quirky little treatments offer moments of utter brilliance; an uncanny sense of knowing which sounds to play with and which ones to leave alone. Little is known about creators Jourke Schouwstra and Huib Bouwman. Apparently they have been in each other's musical orbit for several decades and they describe the album's contents as "music between soundscape and song". Love When We Are is very original and very beautiful, its peculiar warmth suggesting what the rays of an alien sun might feel like while you picnic under clear skies on a friendly new world. Rating: 4.5/5
Artist: Various
Like the recent Midnight Soul Dive compilation from Aleph Zero this stimulating collection from Native State Records tends to avoid familiar psy-chill gestures in favour of fresher sounds. The music here is a little more familiar, however, probably due to compiler Naasko's ongoing love of the warm dub-influenced ambience which has been a scene staple for many years. Bioluminescence is really a perfect album title. There's a soft, multi-coloured glow emanating from these rhythmic tracks, every one of which has a certain organic quality despite the digital nature of its production. The melodies are thoughtful, the layering intricate, the textures a little strange and often original. The artist line-up is a welcome mix of unfamiliar names with respected ones like Xerxes and Bluetech. There's melody everywhere despite the air of experimentation. You just to need to give it proper attention and after two or three listens it starts to open up like a beautiful flower. Try it with headphones and you'll also appreciate some brilliant sound design. Rating: 4/5
|
