detailed info: discogs.com

59 Airplanes Waiting for New York is the debut album by Premonition Factory, the project of Sjaak Overgaauw, based in Antwerp. He self-released this album in a stylish digifile with modern [...]]]> artist: Premonition Factory
release: 59 Airplanes Waiting for New York
format: CD
year of release: 2010
label: Longstreet
duration: 50:58

detailed info: discogs.com

59 Airplanes Waiting for New York is the debut album by Premonition Factory, the project of Sjaak Overgaauw, based in Antwerp. He self-released this album in a stylish digifile with modern design that reflects the care that went into the creation of the music as well. The album contains over 50 minutes of calm, reflective ambient based on improvised real-time looped synths.

The six tracks on this album are drifting and open, and each has a strong voice and atmosphere of its own, with some emphasising a slightly darker and more reserved tone, like “Needless To Say Anything” and “To the Dark Places Where it Leads”. On the other hand, tracks like the first one are quite bright, light, and open. The title track is definitely one of the best, with its crystal clear production and gripping piano-based melodic structure, combined with soft background crackles. The last track is a very long one, ending the album gently and softly, floating away on clouds of sound.

It should come as a recommendation that Dirk Serries mastered this album, besides acting as a consultant for it. While it is clear that Overgaauw has more than enough talent to craft his own delicate soundscapes, it never hurts to have some guidance from someone with decades of experience. In this case, it means the debut Premonition Factory album is immediately on a very high level in terms of production and sound. As such, it comes with a very strong recommendation for all lovers of dreamy and subtle ambient music.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. To Those Worthy Of Honour (5:44)
2. Needless To Say Anything (9:32)
3. To The Dark Place Where It Leads (4:43)
4. The Future Will Be Whatever We Make It (5:23)
5. 59 Airplanes Waiting For New York (6:58)
6. Only Birds Know Where To Fly (18:41)

detailed info: discogs.com.

Released in June 2009, this debut album by 3 Seconds of Air is a new addition to the roster of tonefloat records. On second [...]]]> artist: 3 Seconds of Air
release: The Flight of Song
format: CD, LP
year of release: 2009
label: tonefloat
duration: 74:25

detailed info: discogs.com.

Released in June 2009, this debut album by 3 Seconds of Air is a new addition to the roster of tonefloat records. On second thought, new… who other than Dirk Serries (vidnaObmana, Fear Falls Burning) would be one of the members of this trio? Together with bassist Martina Verhoeven and guitarist Paul van den Berg, he’s embarked on a new musical journey. The Flight of Song was recorded live last February in a frozen-over Flemish chapel, using two Gibson Les Pauls and a Fender Jazz Bass, some effects, amps, a mic, and a laptop. Sounds like a recipe for some heavy guitar drones, but that’s not quite the case.

No, The Flight of Song is more like the exact opposite: light and flighty sounds in long, drifting compositions. In fact, the band name is perfectly chosen, provided you extend the time period a bit. From start to finish, these three musicians pick you up into a soaring, bright atmosphere, and they don’t put you down until the last notes fade after over an hour. Most of the floating power, so to speak, is provided by gentle guitar waves, with the bass picking out a note here and there. Very slow, very minimal, like a much lighter counterpart to Bohren & Der Club of Gore.

I get the feeling that when the band came to recording the final result, they had grown perfectly attuned to their surroundings and each other’s music; they never get in each other’s way, the sound is delicate and well-designed, and in a way, we’re listening to a record meditation session expressed not in words or song, but in soft drones and waves. The one problem that I have with this though, is the following. This might be one of those cases where the result, however charming, is infinitely less important to the listener than to the maker. For me, the atmosphere and flow of the album is perfect, but in essence, it never transcends the level of excellent background music, because the experience of being part of this meditation is absent. I imagine this must have been different for those who had the chance to attend of the band’s performances this summer. In the end, though, this is purely subjective, and I encourage others to judge for themselves if they can find something tucked away in these musical cloudscapes.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. Dead Poets Sing The Sunless Land (20:03)
2. The Heart Disintegrates Wearing Disposable Masks Of Angels (22:44)
3. Warping Night Air Having Brought The Boom (18:19)
4. Ghosts Stream The Harmony Of Delight (13:19)