Harlequin’s Enigma, Enter

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Chris

A musical surprise in the form of Harlequin’s Enigma, is a delight for your ears.  Hailing from Norway, Harlequin’s Enigma is the brainchild of Age Riisnes, who has unleashed a series of albums in the past few years.  Another stunning record in tow from Riisnes, this time by the name of Enter, is filled with 16 tracks, as this hour-plus-long masterpiece will amaze you with what Harlequin Enigma’s sound has to offer.

Opening the album is the spacey and spectacular sounds of “Encourage.”  Synths resonate throughout the track, as this piece begins your music journey.  Filled with dreamy lo-fi tones, the listener is already in for a treat.  “Draumkved” is up next, providing haunting tones throughout.  Having the feel of a 1980’s video game, this track will intrigue you right from the start with chiming xylophones, perfectly placed sound effects, and slight gongs.

“Motherland” brings the album up a notch with an almost ‘club-dance,’ sort of feel.  This awakens the album and brings it to all new heights.  Blending the right amount of Industrial influences, this is certainly a track you will find yourself coming back to frequently.  “Fall Fade,” takes the record down with somber tones and echoing keyboards, all while being surrounded by subtle strings.

“Counting Minute,” proves to be an eerie but gorgeous piece that is filled with the sound of dripping water amongst a pounding, yet infrequent, beat.  The use of sound effects and the overall composition are something to be admired.  “Catastrophe,” is next on the list, and immediately feels like the soundtrack to an Action film.  This standout piece is sonically crafted to perfection.

Following with “Crusaders,” the sultry tones bring in the spacey element once again, creating an abstract sound that makes you pay attention to each and every note that comes across your eardrums. “Dark Light,” takes on a hypnotizing approach to the record with elegantly placed tones stream across the piece as it draws you in deeper.  “Reconvalescere Theme,” is a personal favorite on Enter, and proves to be a very chilling track that is laced with gorgeous strings and prominent synths.  This is one track you will not soon forget.  “Coalesque,” is the next song on the record, and proves to be a standout work.  The combination of bright and dark keyboard effects, static infused synths and drone sounding xylophone, will surely entice you from beginning to end.  “Gazer (Rose Blood Mix),” follows in the same style as the two songs piece together nicely.  Adding a dash of a soft string section, the harmonizing melodies bring the song to life.

“The Day Dreaming Night” is the longest track on the record, heading towards the 7-and-a-half minute mark.  The piece has a surprise around every turn.  Perfect for hitting the dance floor, or driving around on a Saturday night, this song will surely get you in the mood for any adventure the night may bring. Slick and wet beats surround as a very slight and subtle dubstep influence is brought in during midpoint.  A shock on Enter indeed.

“Sarakande” and “Standstill,” both create a sound that makes the listener feel like they are in the jungle. The slight vocals on “Standstill,” are captivating and while infrequent they do tend to stand out, which is a good thing as well as an unexpected element.  “Without” and “Desert Theme” close out the album just as beautifully as it came in.  Sultry synths work throughout the tracks to provide the ultimate listening experience throughout.  Both lighting up the room and bring new life into your eardrums.

Harlequins’s Enigma’s Enter, is certainly for those who love exploring different types of music and sounds that are far from the mainstream.  This is not only an album, but a full musical experience.  Hop on board for the ride.  You will be glad that you did.  I can’t wait to hear what Harlequin’s Enigma has to offer next.  They will shock you every time.  Open your ears, and your mind.

By Melissa Nastasi
5 Out of 5 Stars

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Hsuan Ma, I: Love of Chinese Art Song & Folk Song

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Chris

Soprano Hsuan Ma’s debut album I: Love of Chinese Art Song & Folk Song is a wonderful collection that appeals to both the classical and world music aficionado.  A native of Taiwan, Ma has proudly brought her talents and heritage to America as a premiere interpreter of Eastern vocal music.  A welcoming break from Italian oratorios, Ma introduces beautiful Chinese poetry to Western listeners through her stellar voice.

The first portion of her album features a sampling of Modern Chinese Art Songs by 20th century composer Chien Nanchang.  “Walking Alone in the Rain” opens with dissonant block chords and extreme dynamic contrast in the piano.  The minimalist accompaniment showcases Ma’s innate ability to carry the melancholy melody without hesitation.  Lou Fu’s poetry is lovely in this short piece and in the dramatic story of “Mailing a Pair of Shoes.”  The quick mid-section has a vibrant display of clear Chinese vowel enunciations that is wondrously fascinating.  Another story of a different nature is told in female poet Xi MuRong’s “Artiste.”  Nanchang has fittingly put a warped Vaudeville spin on the music to which Ma gives a strong performance.

Other 20th century composers writing in a more classical vein are highlighted in the next section of Chinese Art Songs.  Long YuShan’s petite poem “Roses’ Three Wishes” is put to music by composer Huang Zi in a remarkable power trio of voice, piano and violin. “Yearning” by Lee Jian sets an eighth century work by Wang Wei to music with hints of folk melodies woven throughout culminating in the final exciting crescendo, “Your yearning for love will be fulfilled.”

Lastly, Ma breathes life into Chinese Folk Songs from throughout the vast country where
elements of nature and human emotion are sung.  To further authenticate her interpretations, Ma employs excellent musicians on Eastern wind and stringed instruments.  The journey begins in the Xinjiang Province in northwest China.  The Chinese flute and piano paint a romantic scene in “Pamir, My Beautiful Hometown.” Then Ma expertly dives into the folksy syncopated march with hand claps and her highest soprano notes.  “Swallow” is the personification of a woman in a bird.

Heading south to the central Yunnan Province the Chinese flute and Ma exhibit jubilant exclamations in “Grazing the Horses” with the flute mimicking a horse’s neigh.  While this piece is full of vibrant energy, “Flowing Stream” is a lyrical lament for a brother. The stringed instrument skillfully mimics the sound of running water.  Sichuan Province is directly north of Yunnan where Ma sings “Love Song of KangSing.”  The name of the town is the centerpiece for a love story wrapped around moonlight.

It is interesting to note how the instrumentation and timbre of the folksongs change throughout the country.  To the east is Anhui Province with its lively upbeat “Feng Yang Flower Drum.”  Feng Yang is a county in the region where the inhabitants must possess a sense of humor.  The rolls on the flute and Ma’s cries of “ye-ah-ai” make this song about a husband and wife’s mutual complaints against each other highly amusing, especially since the faults found of being a percussionist and having large feet may not necessarily be causes for marital contempt in other parts of the world.

Boasting a similarly full orchestration is “Jasmine Flower” from the Juangsu Province to the northeast of Anhui on the coast.  It is a lovely sentiment with a mysterious unresolved ending.

I: Love of Chinese Art Song & Folk Song is educational, awe-inspiring and masterfully performed by an immensely talented budding soprano.  Ma’s work is commendable for bringing these and hopefully many more hidden Eastern gems to the Western public.

Review by: Kelly O’Neil
Rating:  5 stars

 

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Bogdan Ota, Day of Wrath

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Chris

Romanian-based composer, pianist, and producer, Bogdan Ota, manages to reinvent the classical, new age, and pop genres with an engaging and creative, full-length effort, Day Of Wrath.  The somewhat mellow piano songs are interspersed with more triumphant and cinematic works.  The combination of neo-classical and contemporary elements successfully bridges the gap between the history and future of popular music.

“Black Friday” opens with a tapping percussion set and dark, reverberating atmospheric washes. The dark sounds are interrupted by jingling noises, swishy percussion, booming drums, and cinematic strings.  The piano offers some classical ambiance.  There are new age elements that are angelic and sweeping.  The meandering strings, spritely piano solos, and intermittent percussion signify a multi-faceted song.  The frenzied mix of strings, percussion, piano, and other assorted instruments create an impressive result that is difficult to ignore.  The song winds down with a sweeping piano, string, and atmospheric melody that is rather punchy near the end. The song is completely instrumental.

“Reverie” begins with a solo piano performance that is rather pensive and delicate.  Overall, the piano sounds pick up in tempo, but nothing that is too impressive.  At any rate, the meandering piano melody is a thing of beauty without any additional accompaniment.  The song creates a swirling melody of different tones that do not detract from the reserved playing.

“Harald’s Dream” opens with a symphony of strings and percussion with piano sounds in the background.  The broiling sounds ebb-and-flow with cinematic brilliance.  However, the piano showcases some show-time, as the pensive melody delicately accompanies the background strings.  A few cymbal clashes and symphonic string arrangements signify the extent of the composition without revealing too much more.  The fluttering piano playing is especially intriguing during the last few moments of the song.  The sweeping orchestral sounds and filmic appeal will brighten any day.

“Story Of My Life” begins with a few string arrangements and piano notes.  The strings are almost staccato early in the song.  However, a symphonic—almost rock instrumental segment—combines with piano to create a heady mix of heavy sounds.  The triumphant sounds bellow with great exuberance and classicism.  There is electric bell tones mid-song that merges into another piano melody with staccato-like string accompaniment.  The majestic strings, percussion, and piano form a beautiful melody during the final minute of the song.

“Sahara” opens with an atmospheric wash and thunder-sounding percussion with a wavering flute and ever-increasing percussion.  The punchy percussion, hora-like melody, and prancing piano melody is slightly Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and North African in tone.  The quick piano playing is met with cinematic booms and edgy passion.  There are a few non-descript female vocals throughout, but the majority of the song is instrumental.  The electronic symphony at the end of the song is triumphant and memorable.

Day Of Wrath is what happens when the music of Tangerine Dream, Enya, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra combines to form a beautiful mix of neo-classical, new age, and cinematic instrumentals.  The good mix of sounds, instruments, and various mood-altering melodies provides a solid musical outcome that is both memorable and worthy.  The cinematic strings, free-flowing piano melodies, and heady percussion arrangements are inventive and always changing.  The almost complete lack of vocals does not hinder the musical progression overall. In fact, the instrumental arrangements are the heart and soul of the recording.  All eleven tracks are strong and represent a mix of genres, even though cinematic, neo-classical, and contemporary instrumental genres are most represented.  This is a fine recording.  Bring on the wrath!

Review by Matthew Forss
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)

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Mike McGuire, Kentucky Morning EP

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Chris

Mike McGuire’s new six-song EP Kentucky Morning takes the themes and atmospheres of 2011’s Beyond the Ark to a darker, more contemplative place.  Even his lone cover, the Rolling Stones’ bleak “No Expectations,” speaks to a project surrounded by heartache and misfortune, by an over-riding sense of impending trouble.

McGuire begins with an easy going-enough cadence, sounding like a woodsier John Prine on the EP’s title track.  There’s even the pitter-patter of bongos from Rick Ennis, but McGuire sings a traveling man’s lament with a baleful sorrow – even as his guitar tangles with Phil Stirgwolt’s, Together, they create a sound that more often dives into the bottom of every country holler, rather than soaring past the next blue-hued ridge.  McGuire then returns to the lyric, sadder still, it seems.

“Walking in the Shadows (26 Bells)” positively bursts out after that, with McGuire joined by a thwacking beat courtesy of drummer Paul Woods.  Despite the boisterous new setting, however, McGuire’s vocal remains weathered and low.  It brings to mind Bruce Springsteen at his most introspective.  Stirgwolt’s solo on the electric is a scalding indictment.

Rachel Blanton’s plaintive fiddle then gives “I Don’t Go Around (Feeling Sorry for Myself)” a timeless stoicism, even as McGuire channels the writerly adroitness of Steve Forbert’s early albums on a song that pulls no punches about life’s inequities.  “Ain’t no ATM,” McGuire drawls, in a stinging rebuke, “on the other side.”

“Everybody’s Got a Religion” finds McGuire’s group expanding to include Bob Ramsey on Hammond B-3, while Ennis switches to a lightly swinging cadence on the drums.  McGuire’s vocals grow slower still, though, moving like a shiver in a stormy night as he delves into matters of faith and falsities – even as Ramsey adds these note-perfect twilit asides.

McGuire catches a country-inflected groove on “Texas Fireball,” reconnecting with the feel of his Prine-sounding opening track, as he  settles into a story-song about growing up with a dream of playing baseball that was changed forever when his father – who nurtured that dream – was cut down by cancer, and then by his own injury.

McGuire closes with a ruminative take “No Expectations,” toning down the careening slide-guitar signature found on the original version from 1968’s Beggar’s Banquet – and, thus, giving the song an even deeper sense of desolation.  Ramsey returns on B-3, but only to provide atmospherics for a searching, simply heart-breaking turn by Stirgwolt.

Kentucky Morning ends with another foreboding warning about the temporary nature of love, and of life.  Those lines originally came courtesy of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, but they couldn’t sound anymore at home on this quiet but insistently connective EP.

Reviewer: Nick DeRiso
Rating: 4

 

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Mike McGuire, Kentucky Morning EP

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Chris

Any interesting story is impressive, but it becomes even more impressive when you can tell a compelling story in few words, which is one of the many talents that make Mike McGuire so distinctive.  He crafts Americana folk songs, but in that both Kentucky Morning and himself are based in and around the South, there is more of an Appalachian flair.  You can see that especially clearly in the opening track, “Kentucky Morning.”  He shares a pride of Kentucky because of the scenery and most of all because of the musical heritage.  The bongos, acoustic guitar, and mandolin which comprise the track offer a calming mood, complementing the lyrics perfectly. The one minute gap between the last chorus and the repetition of the first verse serves as an excellent display of the instrumental talent shared between himself and his backing and provides an exceptional sample of what is still to come throughout the course of this EP.

McGuire sings of the human condition, our downfalls, our struggles, the fabrications weaved into our lives, and the beauty that can be found along the way.  And in doing so he evokes an impulse of reflection within our own selves, such as with “I Don’t Go Around (Feeling Sorry For Myself),” a track where the lyrics recognize that someone is always going to be worse off than you.  A fiddle and backing vocals give prominence to the mood being conveyed.  Though he remains serious, McGuire shares a hint of humor in “Everybody’s Got a Religion.”  The topic is handled in a non-discriminatory way, acknowledging that everyone has their own way of doing things.  He touches ever so slightly on various religions and paths, mentioning everyone from followers of Apple technology and the studies that say the brand triggers a religious reaction in the brains of fans to “Your little blue friend that reads Ayn Rand.”

Unlike his other tracks, “Texas Fireball” is written in story form.  Centering around the life of a baseball player, the song begins with the boy’s childhood and goes on to cover everything from his professional career to his stint with steroids and his 80 game suspension.  McGuire has a way of portraying his character in a way that will make any listener feel an incredible sympathy and understanding for him by shining an insightful light on what might actually go through the heads of professional baseball players when they choose to take steroids.  ”No Expectations” is a cover The Rolling Stones’ track from 1968.  Listening to the song makes you wish McGuire would make use of the slide guitar within other tracks of his because it complements his voice and style so well.  He makes this track his own with his voice alone, but further characterizes it by slowing down the tempo slightly and by using only an acoustic guitar, slide guitar, and organ for the recording.

The first four tracks all contain only 12 lines a piece, but never do they sound bare and never will you feel cheated due to the lack of lines.  In fact, you will come to find McGuire’s way of articulating his thoughts and shaping his songs quite haunting.  McGuire has a genuine talent; his songwriting abilities would make any artist jealous, and his songs utilize simplicity in the best way possible.  He holds tight to the organic nature of his instruments, and he uses this natural acoustic sound to his advantage, allowing his vocals to take center stage.  An attempt at creating something entirely new and remarkable has not been made with Kentucky Morning.  Rather, an attempt at producing an authentic, sincere album has been turned into a successful venture, and that is where the brilliance of McGuire lies.
Review by Alec Cunningham
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

 

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Harlequins Enigma, “Sixteen feat. Quentin Tarantino”

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Chris

Åge Riisnes, the brainchild behind Norway’s Harlequins Enigma, releases a new single, “Sixteen feat. Quentin Tarantino”.  The electronic composer experiments with new age, electronica, cinematic, space, ambient, techno, and synth-based music.  The latest single attempts to bridge the electronic gap between techno and cinematic super-thrillers.

“Sixteen feat. Quentin Tarantino” begins with a blurby, swishy, and ambient sound-base with pulsating percussion that is a bit techno-infused and ambulating.  There are piercing synth sounds that permeate the song, along with ambient washes that ebb-and-flow throughout.  The swishy sounds are rather metallic and industrial, but the song is not particularly ‘heavy’ in tone. The beat is rather steady and unchanging throughout the entire six-minute song.  There are tinny, laser-like embellishments that pulse in and out with varying degrees of intensity.  There are danceable elements near the end of the song, which resemble techno and industrial.  The sounds do not particularly climb to a climax, but they do move along in a rickety fashion that is techno-flavored and electronically-inclined.  The music begins as soon as it ends without an intro and outro.  The song is completely void of vocals.

While “Sixteen feat. Quentin Tarantino” has a relatively unchanging tone, it is not particularly disappointing.  For instance, the relative similarity between rhythms and melodies throughout the song is iconic in its own right.  The music does not need to move in different directions to be musically appealing or captivating.  The song is littered with metallic shimmers and industrial magic that can only be found in the works of Harlequins Enigma.  It is uncertain the exact role of Quentin Tarantino in the song, but maybe he is inspiration for the action-packed and cinematic-esque creation.  Whatever the reason, the song is a heady mix of electronica that should not be missed.

Review by Matthew Forss
Rating:  5 stars (out of 5)

 

 

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Harlequins Enigma, Octagon Vol. 5

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Chris

Steeped in electronica, new age, space, dance, world fusion, and ambient sound worlds, Harlequins Enigma brings to life diverse and innovative sounds on Octagon Vol. 5.  The Norway-based group, mostly spearheaded by Åge Riisnes, contains a slew of guest musicians, including Sara Jensen, Dave Weckl, Chick Corea, Jan Gabarek, Elin Berge, and others.  The new twenty-eight track release attempts to highlight the diverse electronica-tinged world of music that is experimental, avant-garde, and dance-infused.

“Java” begins with a few drones, Indian tabla, squawky horns, scattered percussion, and ancillary ticks, tones, and beats.  The slow beginning contains a few percussion slaps and crystalline harp-like sounds.  The three-and-a-half-minute song does not particularly have an upbeat purpose or being, as the sounds are rather reflective, relaxing, and airy.  Nevertheless, the music is still top-notch and a welcome reprieve from inherently techno or electronic ramblings.  The song does not contain any vocals.

“Glow feat. Sara Jensen” opens with a few distant reverberations that are metallic with soft keyboard pad sounds punctuating the distant silence.  There are clearer tones that pulse in and out of consciousness.  This is a rather slow and reflective composition that highlights calmer moments of the album.  The industrial tones are much reduced overall, which accentuates the avant-garde and experimental approach.

“Wasp Café featuring Chick Corea & Atjazz” begins with a little chip-tune medley that is spritely and video-game-inspired.  The bouncing melody is crystalline, beat-driven, and swishy with loads of metallic and industrial embellishments.  The percussion is not particularly heavy throughout and vocals are not present.  Essentially, this is a chip-tune jig for the electronic soul.

“Day feat. Jan Riisnes” opens with a symphonic cacophony of sound that is rather piercing and void of additional accompaniment, besides washes and metallic tones.  The synth sounds are rather triumphant and punchy without vocal accompaniment.  The music is relative fluid and unchanging throughout.  The shrill of the symphonic accompaniment is majestic and definitely worth a listen.

“Organic” begins with a swirling melody and rhythm of electronic intensity that is highly-industrial, metallic, and chip-tune-inspired.  The blurby noises and swishy sounds are punctuated with drippy embellishments.  The squawky noises and trippy tune is littered with piercing sounds of aural beauty and electronica ingenuity.

“Scuba Dooby Doo Jazz feat. Jan Garbarek, Stale Riisnes, & Sara Jensen” opens with a spritely melody of keyboard, vocal doos, and flute-like embellishments that provide a bit of jazzy mixtures.  The jazzy tune is electronic with light percussion, but the vocal doos signal the best part of the song.  However, the jazz session sound encapsulates a diverse melody of heavenly voices and classy, electronic displays of sheer enjoyment.

“Healthy World Of Witches feat. Kate Bush” begins with fluid, crystalline keyboard tones and a variety of scratches, swishy sounds, and bells.  There are industrial tones that are rather sparse, but nevertheless intrusive in a good way.  The sauntering melody is experimental, but very enthralling.  The mix of sounds is especially enticing.  Moreover, Harlequins Enigma knows how to create electronic melodies with more reserved elements as easily as the more complex melodies elicit danceable attributes.

At any rate, Harlequins Enigma bridges the gap between electronica and experimental with songs that are aided by a number of top-quality performers.  The sheer number of tracks is especially rewarding.  Anyone with a familiarity with chip-tune, electronica, new age, fusion, ambient, space, and avant-garde music will understand the significance of Octagon Vol. 5.  However, it does not take a scientist to appreciate the electronic beauty inherent in Harlequins Enigma’s music.  Nothing seems impossible for Harlequins Enigma—and it shows!

Review by Matthew Forss
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)

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Thrifter, Muddle in Your Bones

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Chris

For a band that began their career playing graduation parties and house shows, you would not have expected Thrifter to evolve into something quite as multifaceted as this.  Everything about Muddle In Your Bones is intriguing; even the song titles come across as interesting and peak your curiosity.  Some of their lyrics have a dreamy vagueness to them as well, and instead of that being a detracting quality it actually makes them even more worthy of contemplation.

The album begins with the soft yet compelling track “Founded To Find,” which starts out with guitar picking and percussion and slowly evolves into a strong assembly of sound.  This song as well as every other on the album is coated in wisdom and elegance, and the lyrics even share certain spirituality at times.  ”Ballyhoo” is where the peak of this spirituality resides.  References to the Bible and Malchus, a servant in the New Testament whose ear was cut off, are made as vocalist Cliff Obrist sings of the end of existence when the sun explodes and we are left to burn away.  An interesting light is shone on the subject by describing how compassion and generosity can stem from the prospect of this looming thought.  There is a particularly cheery atmosphere to this song, especially since the melody is juxtaposed against lyrics having to do with the extinction of the human race.

Although the album lyrics can often be about the disappointments life brings, there is a certain beauty to their words and the honesty surging through them.  “Suzy Left the Station” is one of the best examples.  The track details the heartbreak that can come from a relationship’s end, but they still manage to relay a good deal of optimism about the future.  While this track is about something as common as a relationship, there are others that carry more depth, such as “When Johnny Lost His Guns,” a song also about losing love.  This time, though, Obrist takes a more profound path by singing about the impact of losing love before having the chance to appreciate the true importance of what you have.  The tempo of this one offers a noticeable variation when the bridge comes around, allowing for further depth and intrigue.

Gems of beautifully crafted lines hide within every single track.  ”These Dark Places,” for example, ends with the lines, “The circumstance was perfect if irony’s your song.  And we all know how it feels to be a house and not a home.”  The album finishes on a hidden track, “If by Light (Gecellamo Jacobs),” which is easily one of the best songs on the album.  An instrumental section introduces the song, and after a segment of silence comes the thick of the action.  The lyrics begin three minutes in and consist primarily of spoken word.  This is an altogether memorable song due in large part to the extent of details poured into the story.  Jacobs, a familiar face at the local grocery store, lives by the idea that “As long as the road is underneath your feet then you’ll always feel at home.”  One day he decides to live up to that idea by quitting his job and to travel, living off of the land, and we find out that Jacobs has never been happier.

With writing of any kind, a good story is not meant to answers questions as much as it is to pose them, and Thrifter has successfully done this.  And in that way, Muddle in Your Bones becomes a journey of sorts.  The lyrics and their delivery are two of the greatest qualities of the band. Obrist’s voice carries the nasally style of Placebo’s front man Brian Molko, while the lyrics bear the weight of insightfulness and continue to remain lively just as the group Cloud Cult does.  No matter what each track might be about, it seems that each of them continue to touch on an underlying subject of love, whether it is about making the most of a moment before it escapes you, or about forgetting yourself for a moment in order to show compassion toward others.

Review by Alec Cunningham
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

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Joshua Messick & Erin Rogers, Honest: Songs of Hope

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Chris

Music, as the world well knows, is a powerful force.  With the simple strains of an instrument, made even more compelling when joined by others, the force of music is enough to conjure up mighty emotions within even the mightiest of men.  The swelling of strings may evoke thoughts and memories of love while another arrangement will cause the blood to rise as in a blockbuster movie soundtrack, inciting us to action.  Even other attempts will cause us to remember, while others we delve into to forget.  And through it all, perhaps the most telling of music’s great devices, is the fact that, through a song, music can help us to give us a voice when we’ve no voice left to give.

Joshua Messick and Erin Rogers are two walking testimonies to this sheer power of music. Messick took to music at an early age, taking up the hammer dulcimer at the age of nine and taking lessons over a number of years.  Gifted with the ability to play by ear, Messick is drawn to the emotion of music and how it relates to people. In his own words, “Music is the sound of the human spirit and for me is prayer without words.”  And Messick’s road to this album has found him needing that expression of unspoken prayer as he has shared of this album being born through a period of grief and healing. Messick is the 2003 National Hammer Dulcimer Champion.

Rogers, as well, began her musical journey at an early age, beginning with the piano at the age of five.  Yet, inspired by her father and sister’s musical leanings, and based upon some simple logistics, the artist soon found herself handed a mountain dulcimer and, through the course of lessons and practice, her skills grew until she found herself as the youngest champion ever at the National Mountain Dulcimer Contest in 2004 at the age of 17. For Rogers, school would follow her championship and music came alongside, fueling and strengthening Rogers’ journey.

And that strength became even more needed when the artist was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2007. Six months of chemotherapy followed alongside all of the expected time in hospital beds and recovering.  However, not one to be cowed by life’s setbacks, Rogers clung to her dulcimer, often playing it for simple inspiration, offering up the same sort of unspoken prayers that Messick so eloquently speaks of.

Honest: Songs of Hope is this duo’s simple offering of those unspoken prayers.  Each brings their respective dulcimer to the table and is joined by some very simple accompaniments, seeing Max Dyer provide some cello support, Uilleann pipes provided by Tim Britton, and some choice fiddle fills from Amber Rogers.  It’s simple, stark, and, as the title would lead you to believe, altogether honest.

All of the compositions, save for “Honest,” written by Messick, are essentially old hymns and the album opens up with the stunning Appalachian-feeling “What Wondrous Love Is This?,” which is full-flavored, enhanced richly by Britton’s Uilleann pipes.  It’s the sort of track that is cinematic in its delivery and feels like something out of a movie and is a promising start.  That promise continues through, although in a more Spartan way, through “Be Thou My Vision,” finding Amber Rogers’ fiddle offering contrast while Messick’s “Honest” is a pure and powerful offering, Dyer’s cello providing an emotive note accented by the hammer dulcimer’s almost keyboard-like quality this time out.

“How Can I Keep From Singing?” is another sparse, contemplative song that Rogers plays with ease and “I Will Arise” provides a mystical flavor to the set list, Messick’s percussive work on the hammer dulcimer setting the tone while Dyer’s cello and Roger’s mountain dulcimer fill in the holes with emotion.  “It Is Well” is a classic dulcimer track and Messick delivers it as well as anyone while “I’d Rather Have Jesus” really allows the cello to provide some nice accompaniment, keeping the track flowing.

“Leaning On the Everlasting Arms” takes things back to the mountains with its rousing waltz before Rogers offers up a sublimely simple take on “Sweet Hour of Prayer.”  That same feeling continues on the duo’s take on “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need” before “God Will Take Care of You” ends things out on a hopeful and resonant note.

Clearly, dulcimer tunes aren’t going to be every listener’s bread and butter but for those with ears to hear, Joshua Messick and Erin Rogers’ Honest: Songs of Hope is a beautiful album well worth the listening.  Providing stunning performances alongside heartfelt and truly honest arrangements, this is an album well worth your time.

Reviewed by Andrew Greenhalgh
Rating: 4 (out of 5)

 

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Agapanthus, Smug

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Chris

It should be a fitting opening volley that multi-talented composer and physicist Thomas D. Gutierrez (aka Agapanthus) describes his sophomore effort Smug as “a nu rock onslaught of mathy incidental music with haiku overtones”.  Barring the haiku reference (this reviewer has yet to uncover the contours of that little mystery), all else under the sun may well be on the table here, with Smug’s forty-three minutes jammed with all manner of musical befuddlery, from snarky electronic skitter (‘Lull Groovex”) to taffy metal machine chops (“Smuggy E”), to Looney Tunes soundtracks via a Nintendo Entertainment System (“Twitch”), classic Bay Area psych folk (“Pipe Dream”), and cryogenically frozen ambient landscapes (“Torpid”).  Through it all shines Gutierrez’s obvious affinity for all things left of homogenous, as well as an ear for melody, movement, and general cognitive dissonance that makes Smug gel better than your average freak-out! mixtape, even as it manages to traverse about a light year of genre distinctions in its short showing.

Clocking in at a scant ten tracks (compared with 2012 full length Pretty Blue Glow, which boasts twenty seven), Smug is pulling from a lot of sources.  There’s an obvious umbilical straight to avant/ambient electro pioneers such as John Cage and Brian Eno as well as the undying spirit of genre benders such as John Zorn and Frank Zappa, not to mention the spazz jazz antics of later thrash fretters such as Mr. Bungle and the Flying Luttenbachers, just to name a few of the bubbles that coming rising to the surface of this musical gumbo.  Much as with the Bay Area-based boundary hopping freak composer underground collectively known as the Immersion Composition Society secretly carving hermetic symbols into the modern musical consciousness (of which this reviewer has been a card carrying member for over a decade), experimentalism and sound play seem to be the name of the game here.  Though they say there’s nothing new under the sun, and we begrudgingly admit that they are correct about this, the arrangements of the various playing pieces are near limitless, all but ensuring that they will be arranged and rearranged into glorious postmodern pistachio over and over again.  And what else would you expect from an artistic output self-described as “backwards classic songs arranged forwards, punky jams based on transcendental numbers, comical suites inspired by egg wizards, lyrical homophonic heterographs, ambient feminism, and recursive metacognition”?  Natch.

Smug hits the switches straight off the opening mark, with “A Knight in November” featuring an ethereal piano progression and Gutierrez’s watery vocal lines effecting a mood not unlike a b-side from TV on the Radio, only to drop straight out into the disco ball fiesta of “Lull Groovex”, which isn’t content to keep the party too stagnant for too long, with its big brew-hah metal guitars breaching the bridge for a spell.  Spastic “Smuggy E” is halfway to the neo-no-wave of tune destructors such as The Locust and Austin, TX’s unrivaled Brown Whornet, folded up against the soundtrack-ish space flutter of “Gravity” and the thoughtful jazz tiptoes of “Smuggy Pi”.  “Pipe Dream” pulls it back down to earth (and shows a little of Gutierrez’s vocal elasticity), while “Night in November” relays a nice instrumental take on the album opener before stepping into the short fill of “Jesus Physics”.  Arguably a centerpiece of the record, the nearly half hour ambient laser show “Torpid” could well be Robert Rich’s lost alternate soundtrack to Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, waltzing the gentle ambient spires and valleys to good measure and managing to do the genre justice (not easy, as so many people think upon hearing ambient music for the first time).  Finally, “Twitch” might as well have been recorded on that same four key contraption Hirokazu Tanaka used for all those 80’s NES games.

While Smug may flit a little too easily from genre to genre for some listeners, what everyone should agree on has to be Gutierrez’s ability to pull disparate source material together with a steady focus that’s more or less on point throughout Smug, making for an enjoyable and quirky listen.

Reviewer: Reed Burnam
Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

 

 

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