Plunge, er, Jeff Caylor Voted #5 Christian CD of 2007!
Hey friends, just a note to say that I somehow managed to get my little project onto a "Best of 2007" list with a pretty major Christian web site. I'm not sure how many of the bands you'll recognize in the list, but I'm guessing at least a couple, even if you're not up on the Christian Music genre.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/ ... estof.html
Crack open your favorite hard or soft drink and celebrate with me. One or two of the tracks were first debuted on the monthly contest here at KVR.
Peace out!
KVR member releases - GOSSIP
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- KVRist
- 462 posts since 3 Feb, 2004 from HONG KONG
-
Parallel Worlds Parallel Worlds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=80486
- KVRist
- 374 posts since 7 Sep, 2005 from Greece
Memory Geist "Funereal Cavern" cd album Review:
(www.musicamaximamagnetica.com, 2007)
3 tracks, 59.54 mins
As the name implies, Funereal Cavern is indeed mournful dark ambient music. Lest anyone doubt that ambient has worldwide appeal, this disc comes from the duo of Bakis Sirros from Greece and Steve Law from Australia, released by an Italian independent label. At just under eight minutes, "Shadowy Periphery" is the pop single of the set (he said facetiously), a brooding mass of ominous swirling sounds that take us right into the depths from the get-go. There is no melody, no rhythm, and no light for that matter. Something like bells and distant clanging add a little bit of form to it in the middle, but it is largely a floating affair. It's not quite like the benchmark of dark ambient, Robert Rich and Lustmord's Stalker, but it certainly lies in close sonic proximity to it, if a bit more free-flowing in nature. Also, there are times in "Deepest Reaches" where something approaching more traditional space music happens now and again, if only briefly. Mostly, though, it is metallic drones ringing seemingly into infinity. This brings us to the 32-minute title track, an expansive piece reminiscent of parts of Steve Roach's The Magnificent Void with its sense of vastness. There are warmer softer edges here and there to keep things from becoming too overly bleak. If you like exploring the deep crevasses, dive into Funereal Cavern.
© 2007 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space
(www.musicamaximamagnetica.com, 2007)
3 tracks, 59.54 mins
As the name implies, Funereal Cavern is indeed mournful dark ambient music. Lest anyone doubt that ambient has worldwide appeal, this disc comes from the duo of Bakis Sirros from Greece and Steve Law from Australia, released by an Italian independent label. At just under eight minutes, "Shadowy Periphery" is the pop single of the set (he said facetiously), a brooding mass of ominous swirling sounds that take us right into the depths from the get-go. There is no melody, no rhythm, and no light for that matter. Something like bells and distant clanging add a little bit of form to it in the middle, but it is largely a floating affair. It's not quite like the benchmark of dark ambient, Robert Rich and Lustmord's Stalker, but it certainly lies in close sonic proximity to it, if a bit more free-flowing in nature. Also, there are times in "Deepest Reaches" where something approaching more traditional space music happens now and again, if only briefly. Mostly, though, it is metallic drones ringing seemingly into infinity. This brings us to the 32-minute title track, an expansive piece reminiscent of parts of Steve Roach's The Magnificent Void with its sense of vastness. There are warmer softer edges here and there to keep things from becoming too overly bleak. If you like exploring the deep crevasses, dive into Funereal Cavern.
© 2007 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space
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- KVRist
- 271 posts since 8 Aug, 2003
A review of Na-Koja-Abad's Dreamfall: Veils and Visions release by Phil Derby of Electroambient Space
*****
We'll get to the music on the latest release from Na-Koja-Abad in a moment, but first the intricate packaging must be appreciated. His music has always been organic, conjuring images of brown and green, perhaps dark forests or even jungles. This disc takes that imagery and turns it into reality, as pressed leaves are carefully laid in the bed of the clear jewel case. A twig runs the length of the spine, visible even when the case is closed. I can only imagine the care and effort that went into putting each single package together. Also included is a booklet with a mysterious dark tale. The ambient music within is as delicate as the packaging, subtly meandering slowly through the darkness. My favorite is the middle track, "Devouring the Sky," a dark haunter with softly trickling water, deep drones, and primitive drums. Expansive at first, like Steve Roach's The Magnificent Void, the drums assert themselves in the latter third of the lengthy piece, dominating without overwhelming. Max Corbacho guests on this one. The previous track, "Traversing the Dusk," opens with low rumbles, chirping birds, and a mournful male vocal, which I could have done without but it does sort of fit with the tribal, organic sounds. The latter half, in particular, reminds me of Steve Roach from around the time of World's Edge and Artifacts. "Garden of the Ineffable" is the closer, 10 minutes of similarly dark textural primordial goodness.
*****
More info:
Na-Koja-Abad
Dreamfall on Blue Water Records
*****
We'll get to the music on the latest release from Na-Koja-Abad in a moment, but first the intricate packaging must be appreciated. His music has always been organic, conjuring images of brown and green, perhaps dark forests or even jungles. This disc takes that imagery and turns it into reality, as pressed leaves are carefully laid in the bed of the clear jewel case. A twig runs the length of the spine, visible even when the case is closed. I can only imagine the care and effort that went into putting each single package together. Also included is a booklet with a mysterious dark tale. The ambient music within is as delicate as the packaging, subtly meandering slowly through the darkness. My favorite is the middle track, "Devouring the Sky," a dark haunter with softly trickling water, deep drones, and primitive drums. Expansive at first, like Steve Roach's The Magnificent Void, the drums assert themselves in the latter third of the lengthy piece, dominating without overwhelming. Max Corbacho guests on this one. The previous track, "Traversing the Dusk," opens with low rumbles, chirping birds, and a mournful male vocal, which I could have done without but it does sort of fit with the tribal, organic sounds. The latter half, in particular, reminds me of Steve Roach from around the time of World's Edge and Artifacts. "Garden of the Ineffable" is the closer, 10 minutes of similarly dark textural primordial goodness.
*****
More info:
Na-Koja-Abad
Dreamfall on Blue Water Records
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- KVRist
- 271 posts since 8 Aug, 2003
A review of Na-Koja-Abad's Dreamfall: Veils and Visions release by Bill Binkelman of Wind and Wire Magazine, which will soon relaunch, reportedly.
*****
Few subgenres of ambient have a greater ability to transport the listener than ethno-tribal when performed/recorded by an artist who knows what he/she is doing. I recall listening to albums such as Soma or Rainforest or more recent releases, e.g. The Shaman's Dream or Moontribe and thinking how unlike any other type of ambient music they were. I would feel whisked away to caverns, dank and dark, or to humid landscapes where strange creatures lurked in the lush underbrush lit by campfires and populated by ancient peoples who practiced ceremonies of power and mystery. Such is the heritage of Dreamfall: Veils and Visions from Na-Koja-Abad. Turn out the lights and prepare to find yourself in a primal, sensual and yet strangely comforting landscape.
Comprised of three tracks (twenty-five, twenty-three and ten-plus minutes in length), Dreamfall…is exquisite. Here is the highest praise I can give it: Few recordings cross my desk these days that I wish I had time to delve into and explore in detail. Such is the artistry of Dreamfall: Veils and Visions.
What puts this CD in the esteemed company of the ones I mentioned earlier? Perhaps the careful attention to detail which the artist brings to all the elements in the mix. On 'Traversing the Dusk,' the opening track, what makes it work so well is the seamless integration of nature sounds, such as bird song, with the undulating drones, the electric guitar peals, the assorted shakers, rattles and rainstick. It's so immersive, as if one were walking through this landscape - the sun setting, the shadows lengthening, and the hint of something not necessarily scary but certainly unknown and disquieting hanging in the air. After fifteen minutes of ambient-esque sound sculpting, Na-Koja-Abad folds in the tribal elements (frame and hand drums) and the sensuality of the piece elevates pronouncedly. The tempo is slow, sexual, primal and the heat is palpable. Obvious comparisons for me are to Soma, a huge compliment as I have many times stated I consider it a true masterpiece of ethno-tribal ambient music.
'Devouring the Sky' reverses the order of the previous track, starting off with the percussive elements (hand drums reminiscent of the recordings mentioned earlier with the exception of Rainforest) and water burbling over rocks. Liquid drones and dark shadowy synth textures flow over the beats. When the rhythms subside, drones take over and wave after wave of them wash over you, carrying you along in their eddy, but never in a threatening way, more as if to say "Come with us…we have wonders to show you." Midtempo tribal drum beats and rattles slowly emerge from the darkness and as they intensify, you feel energized rather than terrified, as if you were heading toward something wondrous and fulfilling, not dark and disturbing. This sensation of a shadowy realm but not one of fear runs throughout Dreamfall…and it's this juxtaposition (which Soma has as well) which makes the CD so alluring, intoxicating and begs the listener to return time and time again.
The shorter drone-centered final track, 'Garden of the Ineffable' is not so much an anti-climax as it is the inevitable arrival at the apex of the journey…a heartbeat rhythm melds into a series of drones and washes amidst scattered percussion and welcoming chorals (by Aida Moćević), and you realize you are home. Not the comfortable home of your hearth but the home you yearned for in your dreams, a place of fulfillment and enlightenment where knowledge is all and awareness is consummate.
Whew! Na-Koja-Abad impressed me with his previous release, Deluvia. Here, he raises the bar higher still, working in a more atmospheric and less dark but still haunting vein, crafting music which transports me to a world that I wish I could visit in reality. This is an indulgent album, one to patiently wade through and digest, to savor and linger over, until you feel sated by the sheer magic of its mystery. Highly recommended.
*****
More info:
Na-Koja-Abad
Dreamfall on Blue Water Records
*****
Few subgenres of ambient have a greater ability to transport the listener than ethno-tribal when performed/recorded by an artist who knows what he/she is doing. I recall listening to albums such as Soma or Rainforest or more recent releases, e.g. The Shaman's Dream or Moontribe and thinking how unlike any other type of ambient music they were. I would feel whisked away to caverns, dank and dark, or to humid landscapes where strange creatures lurked in the lush underbrush lit by campfires and populated by ancient peoples who practiced ceremonies of power and mystery. Such is the heritage of Dreamfall: Veils and Visions from Na-Koja-Abad. Turn out the lights and prepare to find yourself in a primal, sensual and yet strangely comforting landscape.
Comprised of three tracks (twenty-five, twenty-three and ten-plus minutes in length), Dreamfall…is exquisite. Here is the highest praise I can give it: Few recordings cross my desk these days that I wish I had time to delve into and explore in detail. Such is the artistry of Dreamfall: Veils and Visions.
What puts this CD in the esteemed company of the ones I mentioned earlier? Perhaps the careful attention to detail which the artist brings to all the elements in the mix. On 'Traversing the Dusk,' the opening track, what makes it work so well is the seamless integration of nature sounds, such as bird song, with the undulating drones, the electric guitar peals, the assorted shakers, rattles and rainstick. It's so immersive, as if one were walking through this landscape - the sun setting, the shadows lengthening, and the hint of something not necessarily scary but certainly unknown and disquieting hanging in the air. After fifteen minutes of ambient-esque sound sculpting, Na-Koja-Abad folds in the tribal elements (frame and hand drums) and the sensuality of the piece elevates pronouncedly. The tempo is slow, sexual, primal and the heat is palpable. Obvious comparisons for me are to Soma, a huge compliment as I have many times stated I consider it a true masterpiece of ethno-tribal ambient music.
'Devouring the Sky' reverses the order of the previous track, starting off with the percussive elements (hand drums reminiscent of the recordings mentioned earlier with the exception of Rainforest) and water burbling over rocks. Liquid drones and dark shadowy synth textures flow over the beats. When the rhythms subside, drones take over and wave after wave of them wash over you, carrying you along in their eddy, but never in a threatening way, more as if to say "Come with us…we have wonders to show you." Midtempo tribal drum beats and rattles slowly emerge from the darkness and as they intensify, you feel energized rather than terrified, as if you were heading toward something wondrous and fulfilling, not dark and disturbing. This sensation of a shadowy realm but not one of fear runs throughout Dreamfall…and it's this juxtaposition (which Soma has as well) which makes the CD so alluring, intoxicating and begs the listener to return time and time again.
The shorter drone-centered final track, 'Garden of the Ineffable' is not so much an anti-climax as it is the inevitable arrival at the apex of the journey…a heartbeat rhythm melds into a series of drones and washes amidst scattered percussion and welcoming chorals (by Aida Moćević), and you realize you are home. Not the comfortable home of your hearth but the home you yearned for in your dreams, a place of fulfillment and enlightenment where knowledge is all and awareness is consummate.
Whew! Na-Koja-Abad impressed me with his previous release, Deluvia. Here, he raises the bar higher still, working in a more atmospheric and less dark but still haunting vein, crafting music which transports me to a world that I wish I could visit in reality. This is an indulgent album, one to patiently wade through and digest, to savor and linger over, until you feel sated by the sheer magic of its mystery. Highly recommended.
*****
More info:
Na-Koja-Abad
Dreamfall on Blue Water Records
-
Parallel Worlds Parallel Worlds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=80486
- KVRist
- 374 posts since 7 Sep, 2005 from Greece
Review from Bill Binkelman (of Wind and Wire):
PARALLEL WORLDS
Obsessive Surrealism
DiN (2007)
11 tracks, 63:29
Bakis Sirros (Parallel Worlds) reinvents retro-EM on Obsessive Surrealism, one of the best EM recordings of the year. As he weaves his way through eleven tracks (many under six minutes - a decision that I applaud, frankly), he immerses the listener in a shadowy realm where a myriad of past EM and electronica influences (chief among them are John Carpenter's soundtracks) merge with a dark yet lush contemporary tint. A smattering of synth-pop touches, perhaps trace elements of Jarre, Tangerine Dream, or Synergy also surface, as well as echoes of contemporaries like Current, Di Evantile, and others. The music (much of it created on modular analogue instruments) is always couched in an atmosphere permeated with dread, foreboding, menace and mystery. Because the music frequently has a cinematic aspect to it, I think Sirros' biggest influences were the music from films such as Escape from New York, The Fog, and to lesser degrees, Big Trouble in Little China and The Thing (and yes, I know The Thing soundtrack was actually composed by Ennio Morricone, thankyouverymuch). Regardless whether you will agree with me on this point, Obsessive Surrealism is an entertaining disc and certainly plays better in the foreground rather than as sonic wallpaper. You'll really want to listen to this one.
The opening "Beneath Fear" gives you a good indication what to expect. Muted bell tones are set off against assorted skittering electronic FX and minor chord washes. Rhythms emerge gradually but build in intensity along with the addition of moody chorals. "Different Pathways" begins with a steady snare and bass drum beat. Burbling static and organ-like chords are right out of The Thing, and have that same "hair stands up on the back of your neck" effect, as if something is approaching and it's not gonna be pleasant. Yet, the energy of the song (unlike Carpenter's soundtracks) is dialed up to a higher intensity level. It's almost infectious, an intriguing counterpoint to music suffused with dread. "Empty Human Cells" evokes Escape from New York at times, with the same pulsing rhythms and flurry of synths that marked one of Carpenter's more sought after works.
Sirros settles down only occasionally (too bad) e.g. on "Increasing Complexity" with its echoed piano, bell tones, and undulating drones, eventually married to some midtempo synth bass beats and weird effects. He takes aim at a mixture of '80s dance/synth pop crossed with neon-lit Berlin on the bouncy, energetic "Distracted." Harold Faltemeyer meets Tangerine Dream, perhaps? The CD ends with the dark Sturm und Drang of "Crying Spells," a welling-up dose of propulsive yet oppressive power, reminding me of Big Trouble in Little China crossed with The Keep (soundtrack by Tangerine Dream).
Despite my numerous allusions to other artists (notably Carpenter and his unnamed accomplice Alan Howarth), don't be mistaken in thinking Obsessive Surrealism reeks of copycatting. Bakis Sirros is certainly an original. The music here is a hybrid of retro analogue-driven and contemporary EM, with the emphasis on the former but not in a derivative fashion. More than anything else, what Sirros' infuses this CD with is a delightfully sly mixture of fun and frights. Charged with a shadowy spookiness and a dose of creepy menace around every corner, the album is very highly recommended.
Rating: A
Bill Binkelman / Wind And Wire
PARALLEL WORLDS
Obsessive Surrealism
DiN (2007)
11 tracks, 63:29
Bakis Sirros (Parallel Worlds) reinvents retro-EM on Obsessive Surrealism, one of the best EM recordings of the year. As he weaves his way through eleven tracks (many under six minutes - a decision that I applaud, frankly), he immerses the listener in a shadowy realm where a myriad of past EM and electronica influences (chief among them are John Carpenter's soundtracks) merge with a dark yet lush contemporary tint. A smattering of synth-pop touches, perhaps trace elements of Jarre, Tangerine Dream, or Synergy also surface, as well as echoes of contemporaries like Current, Di Evantile, and others. The music (much of it created on modular analogue instruments) is always couched in an atmosphere permeated with dread, foreboding, menace and mystery. Because the music frequently has a cinematic aspect to it, I think Sirros' biggest influences were the music from films such as Escape from New York, The Fog, and to lesser degrees, Big Trouble in Little China and The Thing (and yes, I know The Thing soundtrack was actually composed by Ennio Morricone, thankyouverymuch). Regardless whether you will agree with me on this point, Obsessive Surrealism is an entertaining disc and certainly plays better in the foreground rather than as sonic wallpaper. You'll really want to listen to this one.
The opening "Beneath Fear" gives you a good indication what to expect. Muted bell tones are set off against assorted skittering electronic FX and minor chord washes. Rhythms emerge gradually but build in intensity along with the addition of moody chorals. "Different Pathways" begins with a steady snare and bass drum beat. Burbling static and organ-like chords are right out of The Thing, and have that same "hair stands up on the back of your neck" effect, as if something is approaching and it's not gonna be pleasant. Yet, the energy of the song (unlike Carpenter's soundtracks) is dialed up to a higher intensity level. It's almost infectious, an intriguing counterpoint to music suffused with dread. "Empty Human Cells" evokes Escape from New York at times, with the same pulsing rhythms and flurry of synths that marked one of Carpenter's more sought after works.
Sirros settles down only occasionally (too bad) e.g. on "Increasing Complexity" with its echoed piano, bell tones, and undulating drones, eventually married to some midtempo synth bass beats and weird effects. He takes aim at a mixture of '80s dance/synth pop crossed with neon-lit Berlin on the bouncy, energetic "Distracted." Harold Faltemeyer meets Tangerine Dream, perhaps? The CD ends with the dark Sturm und Drang of "Crying Spells," a welling-up dose of propulsive yet oppressive power, reminding me of Big Trouble in Little China crossed with The Keep (soundtrack by Tangerine Dream).
Despite my numerous allusions to other artists (notably Carpenter and his unnamed accomplice Alan Howarth), don't be mistaken in thinking Obsessive Surrealism reeks of copycatting. Bakis Sirros is certainly an original. The music here is a hybrid of retro analogue-driven and contemporary EM, with the emphasis on the former but not in a derivative fashion. More than anything else, what Sirros' infuses this CD with is a delightfully sly mixture of fun and frights. Charged with a shadowy spookiness and a dose of creepy menace around every corner, the album is very highly recommended.
Rating: A
Bill Binkelman / Wind And Wire
-
Parallel Worlds Parallel Worlds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=80486
- KVRist
- 374 posts since 7 Sep, 2005 from Greece
MEMORY GEIST - FUNEREAL CAVERN cd album:
a great review (in Italian) here:
http://www.karmahd.it/images/EEE48_1.pdf
rating 7 out of 8
a great review (in Italian) here:
http://www.karmahd.it/images/EEE48_1.pdf
rating 7 out of 8
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- KVRer
- 18 posts since 26 Feb, 2006
vh002 released
after a long gestation period, we are pleased to be able to announce the release of 'feathers', the definitive vurt album.
the culmination of two years work, this album lays claim to a map once sketched by jeff noon, now reinvested as a personal exploration of sound and music. we've been looking forward to this for a very long time, so please enjoy...
find it here
after a long gestation period, we are pleased to be able to announce the release of 'feathers', the definitive vurt album.
the culmination of two years work, this album lays claim to a map once sketched by jeff noon, now reinvested as a personal exploration of sound and music. we've been looking forward to this for a very long time, so please enjoy...
find it here
-
Parallel Worlds Parallel Worlds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=80486
- KVRist
- 374 posts since 7 Sep, 2005 from Greece
PARALLEL WORLDS - Obsessive Surrealism (DiN26) CD review
Ian Boddy's Din label is now famous world-wide as the leading electronic music label that mixes originality with accessibility - you won't hear something on this label that bores you to death and you also won't hear anything that bores holes in you. This is no exception. The opening track, 6 minutes of "Beneath Fear" immediately serves as testimony. There's a melody line but it's twisted, there's a rhythm but it's angular, there's a texture but it's choral and a strength but it's magical. As keyboard, synth and electronci and electro-percussive rhythms move over each other like tectonic plates slowly coming to life, the feeling is of a giant awakening from a long-held slumber, the peice possessing more atmosphere than purpose, but, inreality, plenty of each. So much so, that the 5 minutes of "Different Pathways" is altogether lighter as though the giant beast has sprouted wings and is now able to fly, stretch and circle, albeit slowly, as musical muscles are flexed and the synths wheeze and groan in a highly melodic manner, drones the wheeze, bass rumbles the groans, as twinkling synth tunes in the distant, sparkle on top of slowly flowing electro-percussive beats, boinging bass synths and swirling gas clouds of electronics. The 3 minutes of "Empty Human Cells" is typical of the album as every track is its own entity and yet there seems to be a natural thematic follow-on from the previous piece. Here the sound is altogether bigger, with giant bass synth rhythms booming out slowly as more cosmic synth textures dance behind an array of heavenly melody lines, the dominant force beingt the dark rhythms that hang like a cloud over the optimism, turning light into something altogether more eerie, the synths gathering strength and an assembalge of rhythms and layers gliding purposefully acroass a universe of space synth backdrops. Ironically, the 6 minutes of "Increasing Complexity", is altogether more simplistic, as electric piano melody flows over gentle synth rhythms and undulating backdrops to provide a restrained respite from the increasing intensity, this time a big loping electro-percussive synth rhythm taking centre stage as the melody meanders, the rhythm undfolds and wheezing, puffing electronic rhythmic backgrounds supplement the main machine heart of the beast, all the while the melodic blood flowing through its veins and keeping it alive and vital. "Caves" also focuses on the rhythmic side of things as the central theme unfolds before these subside to leave a sea of slow-motion keyboard chords that lull you before the impending darkness falls and the life of stuttering rhythmic complexity begins to form all around you. Two minutes of deep, dark industrial strength cosmic synths allied to industrial strength booming electro-percussive rhythms serves as a bridge between what has gone before and the magical 9 minutes of "Reflective" where string synths and soaring space synth swoops create something timeless and beautiful as the, now familiar, sound of a booming electronic beat, this time slowly, emerges and takes its place at the centre of its universe, the synth flow darkening, the melodic intensity deepening and the whole thing gathering strength and layers to take off to the skies like some giant spaceship of unknown origin and yet seemingly familiar design. The rhythms rev up like rocket motors and the resonant rumble of boinging bass synths adds to the electro-percussive beats as the stirring sound of string synths weves the melodic web and all manner of eldctronic surrounds provide a pastoral presence to sit naturally against the blackness of the rhythmic mood. The near 9 minutes of "Mindmists" is altogether more abstract and here the melody factor disappears into one giant musical black hole, out of which comes the echoes of distant melodie that ahve ben swallowed up by the darkness, th whole main figure gurgling, rumbling, lurching and sucking in every musical layer you care to throw at it, as, one after another, rhythms tumble freefall through space while the sound of distant mellotrons provides a backdrop for the juxtaposition of cosmic bliss and dark bleak space, the gravity wll eventually falling away to reveal uncharted regions of space through which you cruise with electric piano, mellotron, electro-percussive rhythmic rumbles, off-key electronic backdrops and space synth masses, all combine to create a wholly new musical universe that soon bursts into life and evolves into yet another spellbinding example of rhythm and texture. Three tracks between 4 and 7 minutes complete the picture in similar vein to what has gone before and the epic journey is over, something that has transfixed you yet somehow has left a mark that is felt but not remembered, as you lay it to rest, knowing one day son, that it's a journey you will wish to undertake once more to see the altogether different musical sights that youmight have missed first time round and to enjoy the shape of the universe in many and varied ways. Adventurous originality combined with accessibility in electronics is summed up by this album.
Andy Garibaldi(Dead Earnest) 12-07
www.deadearnest.btinternet.co.uk
www.myspace.com/deadearnestdundee
www.myspace.com/mermaidrockpromotions
Ian Boddy's Din label is now famous world-wide as the leading electronic music label that mixes originality with accessibility - you won't hear something on this label that bores you to death and you also won't hear anything that bores holes in you. This is no exception. The opening track, 6 minutes of "Beneath Fear" immediately serves as testimony. There's a melody line but it's twisted, there's a rhythm but it's angular, there's a texture but it's choral and a strength but it's magical. As keyboard, synth and electronci and electro-percussive rhythms move over each other like tectonic plates slowly coming to life, the feeling is of a giant awakening from a long-held slumber, the peice possessing more atmosphere than purpose, but, inreality, plenty of each. So much so, that the 5 minutes of "Different Pathways" is altogether lighter as though the giant beast has sprouted wings and is now able to fly, stretch and circle, albeit slowly, as musical muscles are flexed and the synths wheeze and groan in a highly melodic manner, drones the wheeze, bass rumbles the groans, as twinkling synth tunes in the distant, sparkle on top of slowly flowing electro-percussive beats, boinging bass synths and swirling gas clouds of electronics. The 3 minutes of "Empty Human Cells" is typical of the album as every track is its own entity and yet there seems to be a natural thematic follow-on from the previous piece. Here the sound is altogether bigger, with giant bass synth rhythms booming out slowly as more cosmic synth textures dance behind an array of heavenly melody lines, the dominant force beingt the dark rhythms that hang like a cloud over the optimism, turning light into something altogether more eerie, the synths gathering strength and an assembalge of rhythms and layers gliding purposefully acroass a universe of space synth backdrops. Ironically, the 6 minutes of "Increasing Complexity", is altogether more simplistic, as electric piano melody flows over gentle synth rhythms and undulating backdrops to provide a restrained respite from the increasing intensity, this time a big loping electro-percussive synth rhythm taking centre stage as the melody meanders, the rhythm undfolds and wheezing, puffing electronic rhythmic backgrounds supplement the main machine heart of the beast, all the while the melodic blood flowing through its veins and keeping it alive and vital. "Caves" also focuses on the rhythmic side of things as the central theme unfolds before these subside to leave a sea of slow-motion keyboard chords that lull you before the impending darkness falls and the life of stuttering rhythmic complexity begins to form all around you. Two minutes of deep, dark industrial strength cosmic synths allied to industrial strength booming electro-percussive rhythms serves as a bridge between what has gone before and the magical 9 minutes of "Reflective" where string synths and soaring space synth swoops create something timeless and beautiful as the, now familiar, sound of a booming electronic beat, this time slowly, emerges and takes its place at the centre of its universe, the synth flow darkening, the melodic intensity deepening and the whole thing gathering strength and layers to take off to the skies like some giant spaceship of unknown origin and yet seemingly familiar design. The rhythms rev up like rocket motors and the resonant rumble of boinging bass synths adds to the electro-percussive beats as the stirring sound of string synths weves the melodic web and all manner of eldctronic surrounds provide a pastoral presence to sit naturally against the blackness of the rhythmic mood. The near 9 minutes of "Mindmists" is altogether more abstract and here the melody factor disappears into one giant musical black hole, out of which comes the echoes of distant melodie that ahve ben swallowed up by the darkness, th whole main figure gurgling, rumbling, lurching and sucking in every musical layer you care to throw at it, as, one after another, rhythms tumble freefall through space while the sound of distant mellotrons provides a backdrop for the juxtaposition of cosmic bliss and dark bleak space, the gravity wll eventually falling away to reveal uncharted regions of space through which you cruise with electric piano, mellotron, electro-percussive rhythmic rumbles, off-key electronic backdrops and space synth masses, all combine to create a wholly new musical universe that soon bursts into life and evolves into yet another spellbinding example of rhythm and texture. Three tracks between 4 and 7 minutes complete the picture in similar vein to what has gone before and the epic journey is over, something that has transfixed you yet somehow has left a mark that is felt but not remembered, as you lay it to rest, knowing one day son, that it's a journey you will wish to undertake once more to see the altogether different musical sights that youmight have missed first time round and to enjoy the shape of the universe in many and varied ways. Adventurous originality combined with accessibility in electronics is summed up by this album.
Andy Garibaldi(Dead Earnest) 12-07
www.deadearnest.btinternet.co.uk
www.myspace.com/deadearnestdundee
www.myspace.com/mermaidrockpromotions
-
Parallel Worlds Parallel Worlds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=80486
- KVRist
- 374 posts since 7 Sep, 2005 from Greece
Memory Geist - Funereal Cavern
CD, Musica Maxima Magnetica, 2007
Memory Geist is a collaborative project of the Greek musician Bakis Sirros (aka Parallel Worlds) and Australian composer Steve Law (aka Zen Paradox, Starseed Transmission). "Funereal Cavern" is their debut album, for which Bakis send some soundscape recordings to Steve, which he proceeded to edit and process into new pieces of music. The almost 60-minute ambient/experimental album contains three extended pieces filled with deep, sometimes almost ghostly atmospheres. To it, some nice, grainy elements have been added in the first track "Shadowy Periphery". The second title "Deepest Reaches", clocking at 20 minutes, is a strong, extended voyage inward featuring the voice of Sayaka Yabuki (a female musician with whom Steve has collaborated quite a lot). It all ends up in a slow morphing and meandering ambience with some uplifting, ethereal sounding elements as well. The closing title track starts out with metallic sounds and bells, later ending up in a floating textural, sometimes slightly menacing sounding dronescape.
All in all, this is some well-produced deep and dense quality ambient music demanding focussed listening.
Bert Strolenberg
www.sonicimmersion.org
CD, Musica Maxima Magnetica, 2007
Memory Geist is a collaborative project of the Greek musician Bakis Sirros (aka Parallel Worlds) and Australian composer Steve Law (aka Zen Paradox, Starseed Transmission). "Funereal Cavern" is their debut album, for which Bakis send some soundscape recordings to Steve, which he proceeded to edit and process into new pieces of music. The almost 60-minute ambient/experimental album contains three extended pieces filled with deep, sometimes almost ghostly atmospheres. To it, some nice, grainy elements have been added in the first track "Shadowy Periphery". The second title "Deepest Reaches", clocking at 20 minutes, is a strong, extended voyage inward featuring the voice of Sayaka Yabuki (a female musician with whom Steve has collaborated quite a lot). It all ends up in a slow morphing and meandering ambience with some uplifting, ethereal sounding elements as well. The closing title track starts out with metallic sounds and bells, later ending up in a floating textural, sometimes slightly menacing sounding dronescape.
All in all, this is some well-produced deep and dense quality ambient music demanding focussed listening.
Bert Strolenberg
www.sonicimmersion.org
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Parallel Worlds Parallel Worlds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=80486
- KVRist
- 374 posts since 7 Sep, 2005 from Greece
hi all, (sorry for this)
a new great "Obsessive Surrealism" cd album review here:
http://www.tokafi.com/newsitems/cd-feat ... urrealism/
thanks,
Bakis.
a new great "Obsessive Surrealism" cd album review here:
http://www.tokafi.com/newsitems/cd-feat ... urrealism/
thanks,
Bakis.
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Parallel Worlds Parallel Worlds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=80486
- KVRist
- 374 posts since 7 Sep, 2005 from Greece
hello,
a new great "Obsessive Surrealism" cd album review here (album rating 8.5 out of 10):
http://www.gothtronic.com/?page=23&reviews=5154
thanks,
Bakis.
a new great "Obsessive Surrealism" cd album review here (album rating 8.5 out of 10):
http://www.gothtronic.com/?page=23&reviews=5154
thanks,
Bakis.
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- KVRer
- 4 posts since 2 Oct, 2007
[mod edit: This thread is for discussing official releases only. There is another thread for posting Myspace links.]
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- KVRist
- 194 posts since 1 May, 2008
Official releases of PiperRoX
http://www.djdownload.com/labels/PiperR ... dings/7015
Hope you enjoy : D as much as i enjoyed producing them
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.djdownload.com/labels/PiperR ... dings/7015
Hope you enjoy : D as much as i enjoyed producing them
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Parallel Worlds Parallel Worlds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=80486
- KVRist
- 374 posts since 7 Sep, 2005 from Greece
two new reviews of iNDEX03 (DiN30) compilation have been posted (www.din.org.uk).
one in English (Morhpeus Music):
http://www.electronicmusicmall.com/Html/reviews64.htm
and one in German (Musikzirkus-Magazin):
http://www.musikzirkus-magazin.de/datei ... ndex03.htm
one in English (Morhpeus Music):
http://www.electronicmusicmall.com/Html/reviews64.htm
and one in German (Musikzirkus-Magazin):
http://www.musikzirkus-magazin.de/datei ... ndex03.htm
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Parallel Worlds Parallel Worlds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=80486
- KVRist
- 374 posts since 7 Sep, 2005 from Greece
a new, really good review of iNDEX03 (DiN30) cd compilation:
http://www.tranzistor.gr/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=28
its in Greek...
thanks,
Bakis.
http://www.tranzistor.gr/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=28
its in Greek...
thanks,
Bakis.