rescuing musical virtue in distress.
As part two of the Monomyyth Trilogy, which began with the breathtaking beauty of Astronomica, you would expect there to be some similarities between the two albums. And indeed there are. But there is also plenty which makes this album able to stand alone from its predecessor. As the opening track, Kabuki of the Starred... Continue Reading →
Ambient music has probably been the saviour of the soul over the last, terrible, year. Many people, unable to go to live shows or hang around in the usual hustle and bustle of a lively social scene, have been turned to ambient music to add some colour and company to their isolated existences. The art... Continue Reading →
It’s been a tough year. There is no denying that. Add all the usual concerns of Christmas with the stresses and strains of this year's political machinations and pandemic related isolation worries and it has unquestionably been a taxing time all round. What you need is some soothing music. Something that you can lose yourself... Continue Reading →
Words paint pictures. You hear words like Dance or terms such as EDM and your mind conjures images of packed clubland dance floors moving to euphoric and bombastic electronica. Hear the word ambient and you think of drifting minimalism and gossamer light sonic threads. Yet Present Paradox manages to blend both of these mutually exclusive... Continue Reading →
It’s a strange job being a music writer. One moment you are trying to capture the energy and euphoria of a high-octane, throw-away techno tune, the next you are putting pen to paper on behalf of classical delicacy and understated piano lines. It shows the eclecticism of my day, but more importantly it shows just... Continue Reading →
There’s a point where the likes of rap and hip-hop sounds tip over a creative cliff and land in a place which has more to do with conceptual art than anything as conformist as mere song. Distorted Reality is a great example of that idea. Although it retains some of the beats and lyrical style,... Continue Reading →
If someone was going to write music that would chime perfectly with my current tastes, then it wouldn’t sound radically different to the beautiful and beguiling sounds that Norrisette conjures up. If at all. Back in the heady days of post-punk when synths were new and samples were just about imaginable on the technological horizon,... Continue Reading →
Those with even a cursory amount of musical training will understand the reference in the title, Una Corda being a musical directive that indicates the use of the piano's soft pedal, or as the artist himself puts it, “It’s when things go quiet.” Quiet is exactly the right word for this gorgeous and gracefully collection... Continue Reading →
If you were to consider music in terms of writing, as perhaps sonic pen strokes on a musical page, then Norrisette’s 2020 is the equivalent of stunning calligraphy but also written in a somewhat off-beat and otherworldly hand. Some people just make music to merely communicate or lift spirits, Norrisette seems more concerned with enthralling... Continue Reading →
As Flair kicks off this small but perfectly formed e.p, blending chilled and spacious dance floor beats with beguiling electronica, you realise that A Photo In The Dark is a musical entity unconcerned with fad or fashion, which is happy to ignore the zeitgeist and would rather follow its own sonic pathways to musical ends... Continue Reading →
The great thing about musicians, the ones who you need most in your life at least, is that you can’t second guess them. We all know people in bands, usually local bands and generally destined to reach their peak playing the Kebab and Calculator’s Monday Night Battle of The Bands in the heart of Newport... Continue Reading →
What’s the difference between an album and a playlist, or indeed a channel? Well, often not that much. All three have to go on a sort of sonic journey, one where the music follows a pre-ordained sequence of the curator’s choosing, follow dynamic ups and downs, were one track is sympathetic to or deliberately conflicting... Continue Reading →
You can tell that an artist really understands the power of music when they are able to deliver tracks which are about mood rather than melody, anticipation and atmosphere rather than anything as unimaginative as lyrical hooks and the usual pop and rock gimmicks. Brittleness is just such a track, a drifting collage of textures... Continue Reading →
Imagine if Ennio Morricone had taken a different approach to Leone’s iconic Spaghetti Western soundtracks and decided to invent dream-pop whilst scoring them. You can’t imagine such a scenario? Well, give The Roogs debut album a spin and you’ll get some idea what that might have sounded like. Courtney Davies and Steve Gerdes are perhaps better... Continue Reading →
There is much talk at the moment about the challenges facing musicians cut off from their place of work, much moaning about lack of support for the arts and those who make a living within. There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth on social media about the state of the world and the future... Continue Reading →
Anticipation is a much under-appreciated tool in the composers bag of sonic tricks but Call of Dreams is built almost exclusively on just such an energy. From the first, soft and oozing electronic washes it is a track which causes the listener to be constantly waiting for the big sonic jump, the musical pay-off. And... Continue Reading →
Once you hear the term “dreamweaver” used to describe Josh Werner, it is difficult to think of him needing any other name. Musician seems to undersell the minimalist majesty and ambient grace of his music. Bassist also seems to give the wrong impression, even though it is the predominant instrument in this composition, in the... Continue Reading →
For a while the handpan became the hipster instrument of choice, at least it did in my part of the world, the ukulele having fallen out of fashion, just like the banjo and mandolin before it, before being allowed to return to its quiet, sonic folk pastures. So it was an absolute thrill to find... Continue Reading →
It would be only natural to assume that having released himself from the complexities of the sonic world of Karda Estra, that Richard Wileman’s current musical vehicle, essentially a duo with Amy Fry, would result in some much more simply drawn music. And to some extent it does, but of course everything is relative. If... Continue Reading →
As the recent title track revealed to us, the parent album, from which this lush track comes, is a gorgeous piece of slow burning, wide-screen, cinematic and ambient instrumental beast. And Two Swords is the perfect taste of what you will experience if you dive into its cool sonic depths. Painting gentle celtic vibes onto... Continue Reading →
Musicians often rely on the sonic sucker-punch, the gimmick or the quick and obvious saccharine hit to hook the listener and draw them in. And then there are musicians who are smarter than such that. Violinist Chris Murphy has turned his hand to almost every conceivable style of music over the years, from classical to bluegrass,... Continue Reading →
If ever there was a piece of music which deserves to be prominently placed in the next Sci-Fi blockbuster movie, then this is it. With it’s obvious Vangelisian, Blade Runner-esque fluidity and a video which revels in mystery, beauty and science fact, this short dream state slice of ambient cinematics goes beyond just being about... Continue Reading →
Given that the last time I had Daniel Angelus under my pen it was to write about an album called Act I, it wasn’t entirely unexpected that I should now find myself with a new album titled Act II in front of me. What wasn’t expected was how much he had moved things on since... Continue Reading →
The man himself admits that the concept album is an unfashionable and much derided form in the modern age. But just because it isn’t in vogue isn’t a reason not to tackle it. In fact, the people who would wilfully jump the zeitgeist shark, ‘scuse the mixed metaphors, are probably the ones that you should... Continue Reading →
If, like me, you first encountered Cori Elliott playing weaponised bass and kicking ass as the focal point of The Vim Dicta, then Too Far Gone might come as a bit of a surprise. Then again, perhaps not. They were always a band who knew how to work with drama and dynamics, build atmosphere and... Continue Reading →
When you look back over the history of classical music, it is interesting to see how it has moved from been something exclusive, being performed for the upper echelons of society into a modern world where it has found perhaps a new found sense of purpose, being accessible to the masses by its perfect matching... Continue Reading →
Will Lawton and his band of sonic Alchemists have always made music which is challenging to write about. But that is what also makes them one of the most appealing bands to write about too. As a writer you tend to find yourself pulled towards adopting a certain literary tone, one which matches the music... Continue Reading →
Good music is either the easiest or the hardest thing to describe, it is only average music which requires cliche. Great music even makes you resort to non-musical references to help you make sense of what is going on. And Ruheman makes great music. It is the sound of space being filled with an encroaching... Continue Reading →
Haunting and beguiling music isn’t just the domain of the gothic set. After all, most of the wailings and wallowing that was emitted from that corner of the music spectrum over the years has been largely hammed up and over-theatrical, music made by people who have watched one to many episodes of Buffy the Vampire... Continue Reading →
Not all music needs the direct communication of a lyrical component. In fact sometimes it can really get in the way. A smart artist knows that music is just as powerful a medium as words when it comes to getting your message across and Joe McCann is a smart artist for sure. The difference is... Continue Reading →