At a point where ambient soundscapes crash over gently pulsing beats, where the digital delights of syncopated synths dance delicately with otherworldy harmonies, and, as the video clearly shows, at a point where music and dance become one in the name of performance, you find Thy Veils and their latest release, Here We Are Sidereal.
I’m not proud that I had to look up the meaning of the word Sidereal, and me a well-read chap about town, too. Still, having learned that it refers to the movements and nature of distant constellations, the live performance featured here takes on an extra dimension. Are these eloquent and elegant moves representations of the swirling and beautiful forces that make up our universe? Is this a cosmic dance brought down to earth? Is it another reminder that we are indeed made of stars? Maybe, but it doesn’t matter; the great thing about music, dance, and art is that, despite the originator’s intentions, it is all up for interpretation by the recipient, so I’m going with that.
And musically, the words elegant and eloquent are just as apt. The beats create solid yet streamlined structures for everything else to hang on and, of course, they mark the time the dancers explore the space and rhythms. On top of this, scintillating shards of synths play out, bass sounds purr and pulsate and waves and washes of beguiling electronica ebb and flow, painting sonic pictures, sometimes dominant like impressive oil paintings, occasionally delicate like the deftest watercolour. On top of it all, Alira Mun’s vocals float and drift, almost being used as an instrument in their own right rather than a means of communication.
As always, Thy Veils produce something both buoyant and beautiful, something that the more discerning end of the mainstream will love but which goes beyond mere music as entertainment, something that proves that music is just one of a myriad of interlocking disciplines which, when brought together are more than the sum of its parts. Much more.
