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2011: A Retrospective

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:23:45 +0000

We’re joining in the list fever this year – though not before the year is more or less through – with the favourite 2011 records from Evening of Light HQ. Of course we missed tons of good releases out there, but these at least are things we particularly enjoyed. Thanks to all the artists and labels for sharing their music with us.

First the top 10, in alphabetical order.

The A. Lords – The A. Lords (Rif Mountain) [Our Review]

The LP followup to 2006′s self-titled 3″ is a masterpiece of pastoral, almost ambient, folk. Nicholas Palmer and Michael Tanner‘s blend of many acoustic instruments with field recordings, and quite a few fortuitous guest appearances, makes for a wonderful album that started out as a relaxed summer favourite and turned into a classic for all seasons.

Bass Communion – Cenotaph (Tonefloat)

Steven Wilson‘s drone project hits bullseye with this CD/LP release on tonefloat. The four massive tracks on this album combine ultra-deep drones with pulsating beats in a flawless production. One of the most hypnotic releases of the year!

Burial Hex – Book of Delusions (Brave Mysteries) [Our Review]

Aural insanity is one way to describe the utterly original and uncompromising output of Burial Hex the past few years. It appears the project is ending after this year, but Book of Delusions is one of the testaments to its genius, combining drones, samples, organ, piano, demented screams, and hypnotic beats into an unholy musical mixture.

Momick – Momick (Bladud Flies!) [Our Review]

Richard Moult and Michael Lawrence bring their lysergic piano morphing to a debut full length filled with melancholic melodies and soundscapes, including beautiful guest performances by David Tibet on vocals and Mark Baigent on oboe.

Obsequiae – Suspended in the Brume of Eos (Bindrune) [Our Review]

This duo’s excellent blend of death/black metal and mediaeval musical inspiration makes for an album steeped in energy, solid riffs, and awesome melodies. Our metal tip of the year!

Premonition Factory – The Sense of Time (Longstreet) [Our Review]

A flawless ambient album, and a crown on a long tradition. Sjaak Overgaauw‘s live looping technique is marvellous and the mixture of light and dark, soft and harsh on this album marks the coming of age of a most excellent project. This one just keeps on growing and is not only one of our favourite albums of this year, but one of our favourite albums, period.

Rain Drinkers – Springtide (Reverb Worship)

This project is one of our favourite discoveries of the year, and their blend of organic ambient and cinematic music (for lack of a better description) is consistently excellent. Springtide is their finest work, though, featuring marvellous violin and string work, heavy drones, organ, and tons of atmosphere.

Sand Snowman – The World’s Not Worth It (Tonefloat) [Our Review]

Sand Snowman’s most recent album is another winner, with a particularly excellent mix of progressive folk and rock songs, as well as soundscape-like episodes. Great use of piano, flutes, clarinet, and a guest appearance by Steven Wilson make this an excellent new full-length.

Tenhi – Saivo (Prophecy) [Our Review]

Refined as ever, Tenhi’s latest is easily one of the best albums of the year in the neofolk area. Despite staying true to their own style, they’re still quite a distance ahead of most others in this area and Saivo is as much a pleasure to listen as its predecessor from five years ago.

Maarten van der Vleuten – The Scars Remain (Tonefloat)

Of course we’re quite partial to the Van der Vleuten album we released ourselves in 2010, but this year’s return to vinyl (and to tonefloat) is simply a masterpiece. His original electronic compositions are masterfully fused with influences and themes from martial industrial, but with Maarten’s own critical view on the subject matter.

The following albums, too, are all particularly recommended in their own right as quality releases from 2011:

Alcest – Le Secret (Prophecy) [Our Review]:
Rerecording of Alcest’s excellent shoegaze/black metal debut EP.
Peter Bjärgö – The Architecture of Melancholy (Cyclic Law):
The Arcana frontman presents seven nice darkwave/gothic tracks.
Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow (Fish People):
Surprising and very fulfilling, Bush’s minimal jazzy piano landscapes delight.
Circulation of Light – LEDNAH : Seven Meditations On G.F. Handel’s Organ Concertos Op. 4 (Brave Mysteries):
Acoustic/ambient reinterpretations of a classical piece.
The Cloisters – Little Winter [Our Review]:
Yule album combining harp and ambient by Michael Tanner and Aine O’Dwyer.
Jon DeRosa – Anchored EP (Silber) [Our Review]:
Four pure and lovely indie pop songs from the man behind Aarktica.
The Doomed Bird of Providence – Will Ever Pray (Front and Follow) [Our Review]:
Original and intense nautical neofolk.
The Driftwood Manor – Shelter EP (Rusted Rail):
Five lovely Irish folk tracks on this bonus EP to The Same Figure, Leaving.
Joonatan Elokuu – Earth, Sky, Moon and Sun EP (Utupuu):
Recorded in Holland, Elokuu presents a wonderful blend of neofolk, ambient, and field recordings.
Higuma – Pacific Fog Dreams (Root Strata) [Our Review]:
Gorgeous guitar and vocal drones.
Andrew King – Deus Ignotus (Epiphany) [Our Review]:
Powerful traditional balladry, with a touch of industrial aesthetics.
Machinist – Of What Once Was (Moving Furniture):
Sophisticated drones from the Netherlands.
Richard Moult – Celestial King for a Year (Second Language) [Our Review]:
Experimental compositions for strings and voice.
Raising Holy Sparks – Beyond the Unnamed Bay (Fort Evil Fruit):
Agitated Radio Pilot’s David Colohan returns with his new project, blending lovely folk tunes and experimental electronics.
Rose Croix – Rose Croix (Brave Mysteries) [Our Review]:
Ethereal and martial industrial meet on this nostalgic cassette mini-album.
Ulver – Wars of the Roses (K-Scope) [Our Review]:
Slightly underwhelming, the Norwegians’ latest is still a quality album, particularly the massive spoken word ending.
Vidna Obmana – 1987-2007 – Chasing the Odyssey (Tonefloat) [Our Review]:
Mostly older material, but this 8LP box of ambient glory is too beautiful not to remind you of.
Vortex – Rockdrill (Cyclic Law):
Ritual and rhythmic ambient goodness from this Golgatha side project.

Cloudscape #21: December 2011

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:12:23 +0000

Cloudscape #21: December 2011 by Evening Of Light on Mixcloud

Review: Sand Snowman – The World’s Not Worth It (2011)

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:00:53 +0000

artist: Sand Snowman
release: The World’s Not Worth It
format: LP, 2xCD
year of release: 2011
label: Tonefloat
duration: 43:09

detailed info: discogs.com

It’s always a great pleasure to be able to follow an artist from humble beginnings to a wonderful present. Sand Snowman is one of those artists who I’ve been lucky enough to follow since the first release Moth Dream, five years ago. Since that time, Sand has refined his style of psychedelic folk to a high degree. His early compositions where a bit too incoherent at times, not all elements working together all the time, but this has changed in his latest few albums, all of which were excellent.

Two Way Mirror, released on tonefloat over two years ago, was already a great work, with wonderful experimental elements on piano and acoustic guitar, a mixture of song and soundscape. Last year’s Nostalgia Ever After on Beta-lactam Ring was an experimental return into the psychedelic folk rock territory of Moth Dream, but Sand returns to calmer shores with this year’s followup.

The World’s Not Worth It is an uncommonly strong work in itself, with a wonderful flow of atmospheres and melodies. The opening track is slightly mysterious and ominous, and sets the tone with a nostalgic combination of fingerpicked melody, flute, and Moonswift‘s dreamy vocals. “Ice and Rainbows” adds gentle drums, bass, and a bit of electric guitar into the equation, as well as a longer, more drawn out composition, whilst retaining the original and magical mood. ”Under the Stares” shines because of its great piano work, comprising some wonderful improvisation as well as a very memorable returning theme. “A Life Rehearsed” once again features Steven Wilson on guest vocals, and it is the most traditionally song-like track on the album, a gently flowing progressive folk/rock track.

After this more intense central track, we return to a more contemplative mode with “Regal Season”, a great mysterious piece for piano, guitar, dreamy flute, and voice (Moonswift again), crowned by a fingerpicked solo near the ending. “Events in a Skyline” is even more wonderful, a tranquil instrumental mainly based on piano, with a distinct jazzy touch, opening up wonderful vistas in your mind. This is one of those tracks with a power of its own that’s always there, within the album, but also separate, as a work onto itself. The closing track adds a touch of psychedelic folk rock to finish the album off with a quirky touch.

Lots of words for the main album, which comes highly recommended for lovers of psychedelia and folk. But of course, there are some extras to this tonefloat release. The LP edition comes with a bonus CD copy, but more importantly, the 2CD edition has a bonus album entitled Vanished Chapters. If it’s anything like the dreamy soundscapes of The Magpie House, which accompanied the 2CD edition of Two Way Mirror, it’s very much worth your time.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. Samhain Rain – Arise (4:05)
2. Ice and Rainbows (7:12)
3. Under the Stares (9:24)
4. A Life Rehearsed (6:21)
5. Regal Season (4:42)
6. Events in a Skyline (5:58)
7. The Rebel’s Rulebook (5:27)

Cloudscape #20: November 2011

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:06:05 +0000

Cloudscape #20: November 2011 by Evening Of Light on Mixcloud

Cloudscape #19: October 2011

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:34:44 +0000

Cloudscape #19: October 2011 by Evening Of Light on Mixcloud

Cloudscape #12: March 2011

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:23:16 +0000

Cloudscape #12: March 2011 by Evening Of Light on Mixcloud

time | artist | track | album | year

Review: (tf100) – tf100 (2011)

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 19:43:02 +0000

artist: (tf100)
release: tf100
format: book, 2x 10″ vinyl
year of release: 2011
label: tonefloat
duration: 42:39

To celebrate its 100th anniversary (i.e. 100 releases), Dutch Tonefloat Records organised a festival and created a book chronicling the history of the label. Over the years, the label has come to be known for its unique philosophy and musical style (broadly defined as combinations of psychedelic, ambient, and experimental music in many forms) , and its dedication to the artists and the presentation of the releases. A book is therefore a lovely way to showcase these aspects of the label. And the result is lovely: a hardback with loads of images spread throughout its 108 pages, and something that caters to lovers of both records and books. Two sample pictures can be found here and here.

If that wasn’t enough, of course there is an auditory side to the release as well, in the form of seven tracks spread across two 10″ records, all unique and exclusive collaborations by a number of prolific Tonefloat artists. The first two tracks are taken care of by Sand Snowman, Steven Wilson and Theo Travis as a trio. As one might expect, the result is a nebulous, laid-back mixture of ghostly acoustic and ambient, and even a bit of tango on “Trevail”. “California Falling” is another dreamy song, this time Wilson together with Moonswift, Dirk Serries and Peter van Vliet. The fourth track continues in the same direction, but without Moonswift. Van Vliet then breaks the flow with the funky electronica piece “Through the Eyes of the Duck”. The last two tracks are back into ambient territory again, with Sand Snowman and Wilson pairing up for a long raga-lige piece dedicated to John Fahey, and Serries and Maarten van der Vleuten working together on the excellent “Murmlefish”. Particularly this final and new collaboration really has some chemistry,and is perhaps something to consider expanding towards future projects. Both artists are gifted and subtle composers, and in this rich track, with its hopeful melodic flow and varied instrumentation, this really comes to the fore.

All in all, a worthy piece to celebrate this anniversary, and pretty much essential for anyone who has followed the label, but also worth looking into for the music alone. Like I said, Tonefloat is a label that does not compromise when it comes to selecting its artists, and that shows from what some of them have put together for the occasion.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. Like Charcoal (9:07)
2. Trevail (1:27)
3. California Falling (4:26)
4. Pale Ghostlike Friend (3:59)
5. Through the Eyes of the Duck (2:46)
6. Song for John Fahey (11:19)
7. Murmlefish (9:35)

Review: Still Light – Lything (2009)

admin — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:33:37 +0000

CDr Cover

artist: Still Light
release: Lything
format: CDr, LP
year of release: 2009, 2010
label: Apollolaan, Tonefloat
duration: 37:45

detailed info: discogs.com

As I’ve said before: hidden gems are one thing that make the reviewing business fun. Well, here’s another one. Still Light‘s debut album Lything has seen only a 150 copies so far; 50 in 2009 on a handmade Apollolaan CDr, and last year 100 lovely LPs on Tonefloat C. This is a ridiculous number, because the music on this album could easily go on to sell ten times as much, at least.

The polished prog folk/rock on Lything is dreamed up by Kirill Nikolai, aided here by Sand Snowman and Lucy Hague on various instruments and vocals. From the opening waltz of “Through the Grain”, it is clear that we’re dealing with thoroughly refined music that takes its cues from a rich tradition of progressive rock and folk styles, from Pink Floyd and their contemporaries to the acoustic outings of bands like Opeth and Porcupine Tree in recent days, not to mention strong parallels to the dreamlike nature of Sand Snowman’s solo works. No heavy rock or death metal parts, though. The arrangement of the music is composed of softer electric and acoustic guitars, organ, flute, bass, and occasional drums and percussion. Natural sounding male-female vocal harmonies dominate most of the tracks, all of which have a wistful, melancholic tinge.

LP Cover

All six tracks are strong, each with particular touches that add variation, such as the sampled old lady’s narrative on “Footprints in the Garden”. “August” is perhaps the strongest track, along with the opener, possessing a compelling driving rhythm in the main melodic arrangement, perfectly accentuated by vocals, soloing, and the ambient interlude. Mention must also go to the final track with its catchy banjo and piano support.

Lything is perhaps not at the absolute height of originality, but apart from that this is a most excellent album, deserving of a considerable audience in the world of progressive rock and alternative folk. I expect much of Still Light‘s future, and if these expectation prove well-founded, this album will soon be a collector’s item. All the more reason to check it out right now.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. Through The Grain (6:12)
2. A Remedy (5:48)
3. Footprints In The Garden (4:58)

4. August (10:47)
5. Hour Of The Wolf (2:49)
6. Tenebre (7:11)

Interview: Sand Snowman

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:00:56 +0000

'I'm Not Here', by Sand

Interview by O.S. & D.M.K.; All images property of Sand Snowman.

London-based musician and composer Sand Snowman has been releasing his unique material since 2006, also the year in which our website started. We’ve followed Sand from humble MP3 beginnings to where he is today: beautiful releases on CD and vinyl. Together with other artists from the Dutch tonefloat label, he paid a visit to our country in early february for a concert and some interviews, and he will return at the end of March.
We encountered Sand in the KinkFM radio studio, where he performed on the experimental and avantgarde show X-Rated. Just after that, we had a pleasant chat in the station’s lounge with some tea and wine, and the chance to ask Sand about his music, Irish background, art, and much more.
Our thanks go out to Charles of tonefloat and Arjen & Bob of X-Rated for hosting this interview.

O.S. & D.M.K.: What can you tell us about the development of the whole project, because Moth Dream was the first album, back when Woven Wheat Whispers still existed, but it’s only been 3 years or less. It’s a big step from an MP3 release to these beautiful vinyl things on Tonefloat, so… what happened in between?
Sand: I really don’t know [laughs]. I think when you put something out into the world, onto the ether, you’ve a vague hope- I mean, like for example when I did Moth Dream or Obsessive Creatures in America, I had no guarantee whatsoever that anyone was going to listen to it, let alone that it would actually be picked up by any… you know, find a home anywhere. So, I don’t know, I mean, I put it out there and just see what would happen. As it has transpired, I think it’s been perfect for me, because it’s allowed me some time to develop what I was doing, but without taking too long for this to happen and lose interest.

'Moth Dream'

So then you put out some limited CDr’s on Reverb Worship and Time Lag. How’d you make the step to that?
I think I would’ve had Moth Dream available on Woven Wheat Whispers, and I like Six Organs of Admittance, I remember looking something up on them through Time Lag. I just sent the label an email and said, you know, “I’m doing stuff. You’re not obliged to listen to it.” He sent me an email back and said “Yeah, I’d love to hear some.” So I sent him a CD and he said “Yeah, that’d be great, I’d love to do a little run of ‘em.” I did “I’m not here” and that’s one that came again on Woven Wheat Whispers, I guess the end of 2006 for “I’m not here”, the end of 2007 for The Twilight Game, and Roger from Reverb Worship just contacted me through MySpace and said, “I noticed you have some things available through download, would you like a CDr-run?” -”OK, great,” you know? So, it happens kind of in step with what I was doing.

The first release you did was all instrumental, and then suddenly on “I’m not here” there’s two ladies singing, so how did that happen?
I know it’s strange, I’m not quite sure myself, but I think with “I’m not here”, cause it was the first concentrated album I did and like writers say that the first novel is autobiographical, or that you’re working through a lot of your influences, and a lot of the sonic ideas that I had, the purely instrumental ideas I had, on the first album I had a lot of room to explore with that. When I started writing the material for “I’m not here” or when the ideas started coming to me, a lot of them were in song form and I thought it’d be nice to still have a kind of continual music, still a continual instrumental tone experience, but to have some structure just popping up there, every now and then. Moonswift is my long-term partner, so uhm… “honey, do some singing”. I just put the microphone in front of her. I met this girl Nix and with her basically, you know, met up, got some ideas. I just gave her some backing tracks I had and “you can do what you want over it,” you know. It could open up what I was doing so it wasn’t all dependent on me, because I was still I think a bit tentative about writing lyrics and song structures myself.

You do write all of that yourself?
Yes.

Now on the new album, there’s some male vocals added and also a bit on The Twilight Game, so who’s responsible for all of that?
Right, on The Twilight Game I got a friend of mine, Jerome, to do some vocals. One night he said “Actually I do some singing, so if you want some male vocals…” I thought yeah, just for balance, because I like the underpinning of the voices. Also on The Twilight Game Jo Lepine who sings with The Owl Service did some singing for me as well, so I thought, great, because I like the idea of polyphonic vocal lines. I’m not really a singer myself, and I’ve been told that by singers that a lot of my lines aren’t that easy to sing, because I think of them as melodic lines or just instrumental melodic lines. I think polyphonically, and I like the idea of having lots of harmonies and as many textured layers vocally as are there instrumentally. And you know, it’s just been a continuation of that, really. I mean, at the moment, in the songs I’m working on at the moment, I’ve already used three vocals, and I’ve got another three or four in mind to work with.

So, and what about the new album? There’s Jason Ninnis and Steven Wilson, so…

'Two Way Mirror', CD version, artwork by Carl Glover

Jason’s a friend of mine, a singer/songwriter from London, and again it was one of these things, one evening he said you know “If you want some vocals sometimes.” – “Yeah, great, here we go, that’d be ideal.” And Steven – cause I did some playing on his album, he said “If you want some singing done…” – “Excellent, that’s great.” It was a question as well of thinking of what songs in terms of lyrics and melody suit what voices, and the two that Steven sang, well they’re really ideal in my head for his voice, and I’m very very happy with the way they turned out.

So how did you get in touch with Steven?
Steven got in touch with me, because the chap at Reverb Worship must have sent Steven a CD. There were a limited edition of 50 copies each, and Steven sent me an email, “I’m really really impressed with your work and I think that maybe more than 50 people should hear it.” So, it just went on from there, really. Steven passed “I’m not here” and The Twilight Game on to Charles [from Tonefloat] and… good fortune, really. [laughs]

Will you rerelease Moth Dream someday?
Possibly Obsessive Creatures, the American version, the reason being because that, as I said earlier, I just can’t find two of the masters for the tracks on Moth Dream. But, I’m not too bothered, because there’s the three tracks “Serpentine”, “Moth Dream” and “Light, Space, Shadow” I’m very happy with, and I wrote this other one around the time, which was on the American issue, “Obsessive Creatures and Caricatures”. It may be issued in that format, and that would be again be four fairly long instrumental pieces. So, that may be…

But the entire album is lost, because you lost some of the master tracks?
Yeah, I don’t have three of the tracks. Also, unlike “I’m not here” and The Twilight Game and Two Way Mirror, this album didn’t present itself as an entity to me, as an entire album. Because to me the structure of an album is as important as the individual tracks on it, the moods and the contrast to each other and stuff. Probably because Moth Dream, my first one, is more a question of ‘I like these, got them done now, put them together.’ When I finished that album, I started work pretty much immediately on “I’m not here”, so I was just pretty much taken up with that. So, the masters of a couple of songs just got mislaid. They’re somewhere in my flat, but that’s The Twilight Zone essentially, so they may at some stage turn up. [laughs]
One day… when you move into a new place or something. [all laugh]

'Flicker Fading Spark' EP

And what about this Flicker Fading Spark EP, because that’s also disappeared along with Woven Wheat Whispers.
Well, I do have the masters for those, cause that’s when I started working on The Twilight Game. It’s weird because it was actually another project, and that took over. And one of the tracks on the Flicker Fading Spark EP, “Magpie Eye”, is from a longer piece that became “I Spy”, the second track on Two Way Mirror. I had basically done the backing track of this 8-minute piece and I thought ‘the first part, I’m gonna get singing on the first part. The rest of it, I’m not sure if singing will work with it, so… no, the first part will be a separate song and this will just be an entity unto itself.’ And also because I thought that if I was going to do an EP to predate the album, it would be good to have a couple of tracks that don’t appear anywhere else. But I do actually have them… [laughs] I was a bit more sensible. [laughs]

OK, so then we’ve made it to the new album, basically. It’s going to be released this month, so what’s a bit of the background behind Two Way Mirror in terms of concepts and writing? How’d you compose it?
Uhm… ooh sorry, there might be a pause… [laughs] I’ll think about that one in silence…
You know, the first 500 CDs have an extra album, The Magpie House. It’s basically a kind of continuum: The Twilight Game, The Magpie House and Two Way Mirror. What I started with for The Twilight Game had some of the material that ended up on The Magpie House. Then I thought you know, ‘I’ll use that in the next one.’ But then other ideas presented themselves. I wanted a different colour and feel to previous albums. I mean, “I’m not here” to me sounds kind of like summer evening or something like that. It sounds like woodland at nighttime or something. The Twilight Game reminds me of a nighttime sky, a wintry sky, and Two Way Mirror puts me in mind of clouds and sky and kites and things like that.

Where does The Magpie House fit in in terms of ideas and concepts?
Well, The Magpie House, I had this dream- cause I have a thing about magpies, I paint them and draw them, I really love them and I love the idea of them as well, going around and gathering these things that are shiny and glittery. And, I had this dream of this house with all these magpies in it and all these wooden beams and stuff like that, and I thought ‘house, magpies, magpie house!’ That’s something else, you know. Or you know, me just gathering these fragments of myself from wherever. The album itself, where it would fit in would be that it’s the underpinning of say, mainly The Twilight Game and Two Way Mirror, it’s material that was acutally happening concurrent to that. Not so much outtakes, it just didn’t fit in with the idea, the structure and the concept of those ones. But it was in its own way kind of essential, because it’s what was going on as well.

Do you think that dreams have special meanings?
Yeah, I do, yeah…
Are they also an important inspiration for you? For your songs?
Certainly the unconscious or the subconscious…
Which speaks to you through dreams, yeah…
Or just impressions, I mean, it can be- when we left from the city airport, this industrial area, and it was cold, but there was this intense sunlight coming through. I find that these feelings- I see something like that and automatically a piece of music stars presenting itself to me then. So it can be dreams, but just impressions, subconscious impressions, impressions that are outside of time or a kind of material concept of reality.
And then the music comes to you, yeah, and you have to give it shape?
Yeah, and that’s what music is, giving shape to a very vague feeling, an impression, it’s giving the form, structure…
[all laugh]

Speaking of this kind of thing, if one looks at your MySpace, they’ll quickly realise that you’re also a painter, so how did that start for you, and in what way is it intertwined with your musical expression?
Yeah, well, my mum’s an artist, I was drawing before I could write or any of that. I love it and also it’s a great respite from having to think in terms of sound. It really really does cross over for me in terms of music, again it’s very hard to explain because it’s a feeling, a sensation, you know. But I think they are- I find that there might be an idea or a concept that’s presented in an album, and there’s kind of an overspill into the paintings I do, you know. Again, I mean the thing with music, I might do a painting or a song that I myself don’t really like that much but it feels absolutely right. In a way it’s kind of outside my own judgement. And I like to be as much outside of my own judgement as possible. So in a way it’s not something that I have that much control over. I quite like that. [laughs]

And apart from MySpace – you’ve used it for some of the earlier album covers, but do you also do exhibitions or something like that?

'Flicker, Falter, Fading Spark', by Sand

Uhm, the last exhibition I did was… nearly two years ago. [laughs] I very very rarely do, to be honest, I rarely put exhibitions on because of just the logistics, sorting it out and having to get people there and stuff. I know it might sound strange, but I don’t actually feel a great pressure to sell my stuff, or even have it seen. It happens, it exists. I think it’s the world we live in, where we feel that things have to be qualified by being seen and heard. In a way, that’s like me being an artistic meanie, keeping it to myself, you know. [lauhgs] But it’s not deliberate like that, you know. I very very rarely exhibit, and probably the main reason for why I very very rarely exhibit is that the priority is music. That’s my main purpose essentially. The painting is more *for* me, it’s more of an indulgence for myself.

Is there for you a difference between musical and visual expression?
Yes, yeah. Definitely, because music to me is entirely abstract from material reality, from what we see and hear and experience. Music, apart from birdsong and natural sound, music is a totally abstract concept. Most of the other art forms, I think, come some way out of our experience, like visual art. I think visual art has always been, through all cultures, representational. European art is in some way kind of an abstraction from real life, but it is based pretty much on the world that you see, you know. And I think it’s the same with literature, poetry, because it uses language, by which we communicate. Music then of course is just something else entirely.
Perhaps more direct, sometimes at least. Speaking to your feelings, or at least that’s a way to experience it.
Well, that’s it, cause it has a main line into your feelings, your subsconscious.

And what about literature or poetry? Does that influence you in your music in any way? Or your painting…

Very little, but… James Joyce is a big influence on me, more in his approach than anything. The approach of like Ulysses or Finnegan’s Wake, where you have parallel worlds, parallel takes on things happening at once. Because music was the primary influence for him, with literature, where he was, instead of telling a story, instead of a sentence like saying “he went out of” he’d have these compound words actually, cause he was trying to get polyphony in writing. But it’s just the way that makes you look at reality that’s had a huge influence on me, really, you know. When I read about Finnegan’s Wake, which I haven’t read – I love Ulysses, but I haven’t been able to get through Finnegan’s Wake.
[laughs] OK.
But the idea is absolutely mindblowing for me.
Why is it so difficult to get through for you?
Finnegan’s Wake? I think it’s having a primer first, it’s recognising the code, because I mean with Joyce you have a lot of references to Greek mythology, you know. I mean like say for example using kind of musical forms of fugues in literature, so the first time you read it it’s… you know. I mean I read about Ulysses quite a lot before I actually read it, so I had a primer in it and I was going to prepare for it. I think because Finnegan’s Wake is a dream, it’s kind of underwater, and it’s so very very- I find it very very hard to penetrate its meaning, you know. I understand it is about a dream reality, and also the thing of a wake[1]- “Finnegan’s Wake” is an Irish song. There’s also Fionn again, the coming of Fionn mac Cumhaill [wiki], this Irish mythological hero. It’s the return of the hero, which is going through all of Joyce’s literature. The main character, it’s all the hero’s voyage. Except in the last, in Finnegan’s Wake, the voyage is in a dream. It’s dream logic, he has strange juxtapositions and you don’t know where you are [laughs]. His language is beautiful, but I don’t know what he’s saying [laughs]. You know, but I’ll go back to it in time.
Maybe then it’s a bit more like music.
Yeah, it is.
If you read the words, but you don’t know exactly what it means, you have to rely on the feelings he expresses.
Yeah.

Uhm, apart from your refereces, you also have an accent, so…
I’m Irish.
You’re Irish, yeah, cause you were living in London, that’s what we garnered, but we never heard you were Irish, so how did you end up in London?
That’s a very good question! [laughs] A series of strange events… when I was 17 I moved to London, and uhm, never went back. Oh, I’ve been back, but it’s just become home, you know, but it’s like I said, I’ve been there like since I was 17-18 years or so.
It has a special feeling for you, the city?
London, uhm, I think so, but then I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve been there a long time and I have history there. I think when you have a history somewhere, you have all these references there, so it becomes something to you. I mean, in many ways I don’t have to actually be living in London for what I do, but it’s right for now.

And what about Ireland? You ever feel like going back?
For a holiday, yes, but to live, no.
And why not, if we may ask?
Exile. I take after James Joyce. It’s when you’re in exile from your homeland. The danger is you romanticise it or you can become cynical about it, that is, you see it out of balance. But, you internalise the experiences. I mean, when I go back, I go back for a week every now and then, and I’m really- I’m not saying the people who live there don’t appreciate these- but it’s the ordinary things, the smell of coal fires, that’s just amazing, and it’s an instant effect on me that takes me back to when I was a little boy. Because I’m not living there, because I’ve been away from there, these associations are powerful, and I don’t really want to risk losing them. [laughs] You know, and I like that being somewhere else.
So you only realised these little things when you’ve been away for a while?
Yeah, definitely.
Or you take them too much for granted.
Yeah, well, you no longer see it. It’s if you’re taking the same route every day you don’t notice the odd nuances of an area or of the people’s accents and things like that. It’s when you’re away, then you really notice it.

'The Tower', by Sand

In your interview just now on the radio, you talked briefly about your musical influences. Your music itself is already pretty eclectic, but does that have a background in your own musical taste?
Yes, very much so, yeah. I mean, I get excited by things, I don’t know if it’s apparent in Two Way Mirror, but there’s a couple of tracks on it… I was really really excited by Bartók‘s string quartets and Shostakovich‘s string quartets. With the string quartet you have a dialogue going on, and it’s very economical. And, I often get excited about something that I *can’t* do, but it presents me with this other world to kind of play with and get involved in, so I thought ‘well, OK, how d’you get that kinda quality, that dialogue with acoustic guitars?’ You know, so rather than staying in the pattern of like, say, what an instrument does, I kinda listen to what it doesn’t. What I do often is that I write a piece on the piano and translate it to maybe two or three acoustic guitar parts. Or write a piece on the guitar and then play it on the piano. So I’m thinking of it, or I’m seeing it in a different perspective, in a sense. So, I mean, yeah, but the influences, we’re influenced by everything, even the things we don’t like, you know, but they are very very eclectic in what I relate and what I love and what I’m excited by, you know. What I’d like to integrate in what I do.

And what about playing live, is this the first time for you tomorrow?
I did a couple of very very brief sets in London last year. I did one actually as part of an improv thing with these two other chaps, who were playing like electronics and noises, and I was playing, doing what I do on the acoustic guitar, whatever it is I do on the acoustic guitar. But I did two sets, one in summer and one in October. Just to get myself prepared basically for playing in front of people, because everything I do is very much in my head, an extension of that is to actually do it in a room. I mean, I’m excited about it, because I think rather than recreate or trying to recreate a record – because the record is there and people can listen to that – what I’m interested in doing is taking the live experience, making that something into itself, an event into itself or a piece of music into itself. So there are themes and bits and pieces from the albums that are interwoven with each other.

OK, and then finally, you’re doing a couple of shows now, and you’ve just got a new album out, double CD, vinyl, and… Is there anything you have planned already for the future?
Uhm, one album, definitely, that I’ve pretty much all the backing tracks done for, and I just need to get the vocals done on that. I’m also working on this other thing at the moment, that I’m not sure what it is. It’s quite different, it’s more uh- I don’t know if I’ll actually do it as a- I don’t know if I’ll acutally finish it. Or, I don’t know if I’ll do it as a Sand Snowman project. It’s quite rhythmic, there’s a lot of drums and things like that in it, and it’s very sort of disjointed, but it’s very much in its early stages. I hope to have the new Sand Snowman one finished by the end of summer.

By the way, those drums, do you also play those on the album?
I play some, and I program some. I mix them up, basically, yeah.
But most of the instruments is just you?
I play, yeah. On the new one I’ve just got a friend of mine, she’s done some flute, and I’ve written some cello parts for another friend of mine. But still pretty much instrumentally, it’s me.
You mean the next album, the one that’s coming?
Yes, yeah.
And are there any more surprises you can unveil? Is it going to be very different from Two Way Mirror? What’s your feeling about it?
I think it’s going to be as different from Two Way Mirror as Two Way Mirror is from “I’m not here”. That is, there are similarities. In fact I think actually you can hear traces of all of them, even the first one. There are parts on that, that are the feelings and ideas that occur on the later albums as well. Basically, there’s kind of a cross-pollination thing going on with them.

[1] The “wake” in the traditional “Finnegan’s Wake” is a reference both to the wake at his funeral, and his awakening during the funeral, when it becomes apparent that he isn’t dead, but suffering from a severe whiskey delirium. An alternative interpretation would be that he was dead, but resurrected by the water of life (whiskey). See: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Finnegan%27s_Wake.

Links:

Review: Sand Snowman – Two Way Mirror (2009)

admin — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:00:16 +0000

CD cover

LP cover

artist: Sand Snowman
release: Two Way Mirror
format: 2xCD / LP
year of release: 2009
label: tonefloat
duration: 1:27:10

detailed info: discogs.com.

Things have been going fast for Sand Snowman in the past few years. The london-based Irish guitarist and composer has gone from several obscure MP3 and CDr releases to much more, evidenced by the rerelease of the albums “i’m not here” and The Twilight Game on vinyl by tonefloat records. This cooperation proves to be a fruitful one, as this, the new album, is again released by the Dutch label, this time both on double CD and the good old high-quality vinyl. The 2CD is a premiere for tonefloat, which is traditionally a vinyl label, and it includes a bonus album called The Magpie House. This is also the edition under review here.

The change from very limited releases to a more professional output coincides with the musical growth of Sand Snowman. He was searching for a unique development of his own sound on the earlier works, which contained some imperfections still. Two Way Mirror, however, marks the project’s maturation. The style is essentially the same: acoustic guitar compositions ranging from the folky and ambient to the experimental and modern classical-influenced. Added to this are subtle synths, flute, piano, percussion, and a varied range of (sometimes polyphonic) vocals. Moonswift has been a returning singer on earlier albums, but this time she is joined by the likes of Jason Ninnis and Steven Wilson on guest vocals. The male vocals add a great amount of new moods to the already quite varied sound of the project.

The main album itself is not too long, fitting easily on one LP, but contains a very nice range of musical styles, wavering between progressive folkrock, experimental ambient, and much more. The bonus disc is also quite worthwhile, expanding on the instrumental compositions by Sand. It is not as catchy or upfront as the main part, perhaps, but its dreamlike ambient quality is very good nonetheless. So good in fact, that it seems a shame that it is only avaiable in CD version. I love vinyl, and tonefloat vinyls are made with love as well, so in a way it’s too bad you have to miss out on The Magpie House is you opt for the LP. A consolation is the fact that the CD edition is housed in what is basically a mini-gatefold made out of sturdy cardboard, and with excellent layout by Carl Glover. In that sense, it feels like a tiny double LP.

Regardless, it’s safe to say that Two Way Mirror is Sand’s best album to date, and a testament to his unique style of playing and composing. The album is a truly original work of modern acoustics, and highly recommended to anyone who is open to a mixture of prog, folk, and ambient.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracks:

Two Way Mirror:
1.1 The Butcher’s Hook (5:49)
1.2 I Spy (3:45)
1.3 Faded Flowers (5:21)
1.4 A Vision On The Green (2:43)
1.5 Matryoshka, Muse Of Misrule (1:51)
1.6 Mirrors (8:23)
1.7 Riverrun (2:48)
1.8 Neurotic Zoo (3:27)
1.9 Kites (4:48)

The Magpie House:
2.1 The Tower (9:15)
2.2 Magpie House (3:12)
2.3 The Memory Box (7:10)
2.4 Harlequin (3:51)
2.5 Lammas Meadow (2:31)
2.6 Quarter Circle (5:00)
2.7 Earth Inferno (4:31)
2.8 Untitled (12:45)

Review: Sand Snowman – Flicker Fading Spark (2007)

admin — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:00:14 +0000

artist: Sand Snowman
release: Flicker Fading Spark
format: MP3
year of release: 2007
label: Woven Wheat Whispers
duration: 12:03

detailed info: discogs.com

Some of our readers might remember I wasn’t thoroughly impressed with Sand Snowman‘s first album, Moth Dream. Well, since then, a new album has appeared (I’m Not Here), which I haven’t heard yet. This EP is the follow up of that album, and the third release on Woven Wheat Whispers, and I must say, I find some great improvement here.

Sand Snowman has managed to hold on to the typical mix of folk and proggy acoustics, but this time around, it works seamlessly. Since the last album, Sand has called in the aid of female singers Nix and Moonswift, the last of which appears on the opening track of this EP. So, what do we hear? Expert acoustic guitar fingerpicking, subtle bass and percussion, some electric guitar and FX, and finally Moonswift’s soft, dreamy vocals. Many of the elements are the same as on the first album, but somehow it all just works better, and sounds more original.

“Magpie Eye” is all instrumental, and starts off quite fast with another great guitar melody. Later in the track, it slows down a bit, blanketed in reverb-drenched piano and other string instruments. The final, short track is also instrumental, but it features wordless vocals by Moonswift again. A very relaxed track, which somehow stresses that quaint old school prog feeling again.

All in all, a fine EP, and a nice teaser for the new album, The Twilight Game, which was also recently released on WWW. Probably it’s due to some common influence, but this also reminds me of Opeth‘s acoustic works. So, if you like that as well, and/or just psychy and proggy folk, check this one out.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. The Last Candle (5:41)
2. Magpie Eye (3:54)
3. Fading Spark (2:28)

Review: John Barleycorn Reborn (2007)

admin — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:00:56 +0000

artist: V.A.
release: John Barleycorn Reborn : Dark Britannica
format: 2CD + MP3
year of release: 2007
label: Cold Spring & Woven Wheat Whispers
duration: 5:08:16

detailed info: discogs.com

Where to begin with an absolutely massive compilation like this? Well, it all started with Mark Coyle’s Woven Wheat Whispers label, which started in late 2005. Since then, he has managed to gather an impressive number of artists to his MP3-only label, covering the broad area of underground modern folk music, ranging from traditional to folk rock, from neofolk to psychedelic folk, from mediaeval to pagan folk. Hundreds of albums have been (re-)released, and the scope of the label has become huge. All the more reason why an overview compilation like this one is very welcome. Not only does the first edition of the John Barleycorn Reborn series contain a host of great artists, this is only the tip of the iceberg, for as the subtitle gives away, only English artists have been featured on this album (with the unforeseen exception of novemthree). More editions are to come, which will contain American artists, other European countries, and who knows what else?

But, let’s focus on this one first. In collaboration with English neofolk/post-industrial label Cold Spring, Woven Wheat Whispers has released the main part of the compilation on a fine 2CD set, contain well over two and a half hours of music. But, a WWW release wouldn’t be complete without some free stuff. In this case, this means a huge MP3 supplement, freely downloadable if you’ve bought the CDs. It contains a further two and a half hours of music, making the total running time of the set over five hours – now there’s value for money.

But, the value is not only in quantity, but also in quality, as there are so many great artists from various subareas of the folk world featured on this compilation. Even more so here than anywhere else, it would be a fool’s errand to try and give an in-depth review of every track. As it as, I’ll try and pick out the highlights, while giving a taste of the diversity contained in here at the same time. Of course, this compilation wouldn’t be complete without renditions of the traditional song that gave it its name: “John Barleycorn”. Both CDs start with a version of this classic, and The Horses of the Gods and The Anvil both pull it off convincingly and originally. Other traditionals also feature on the album, such as “Lay the Bent to the Bonny Broom” by Charlotte Greig and Johan Asherton, who deliver a long, intimate rendition of this cruel ballad. Clive Powell‘s “Reed Sodger” is based on various pieces of traditional rhyme, and features Clive’s unique voice over subtle electronics. The omnipresent (but rarely dull) “Twa Corbies” is here executed by pyschedelic folkrockers Mary Jane, who turn this track into a quite funky affair. “Pew Pew” is a Scottish traditional text, here set to harp and recorder by Quickthorn, featuring the vocals of Prydwyn. But, one of my absolute favourites has to be Venereum Arvum‘s version of “Child 102″, the ballad of the birth of Robin Hood. Sean and Rachel’s vocals soar in unison above subtle accompaniment, letting the beauty of the melody speak for itself convincingly.

Also the non-traditional tracks contain some great stuff. The English division of neofolk can’t be left out here, of course, and least of all Tony Wakeford‘s Sol Invictus, who come with a brand new track, representative of the band’s recent experimental direction. This is equally true of The Triple Tree, where Tony collaborates with Andrew King. “Three Crowns” is a dark track combining acoustic soundscapes with obscure folkloric themes (in this case from an M.R. James story). Andrew King solo is a guarantee for traditional song delivered with conviction, and based on proper research, and his version of “Dives and Lazarus” is no exception. This is a re-recorded version of the track which originally appeared on the split with Changes. Matt Howden‘s Sieben is also featured with a remix of a track from Ogham Inside the Night; a fine example of his original violin ‘n’ vocals approach to folky modern song. Finally, there’s While Angels Watch, with a not totally convincing track, which nevertheless has a very nice atmosphere and development.

But there’s so much more going on here I just have to mention. Damh the Bard delivers a rousing piece of pagan folk on “Spirit of Albion”. The Kitchen Cynics‘ “The Guidman’s Ground” is a song based on spacy guitar, accompanied by subtle vocals telling a rather dark folk narrative. “Summerhouse” by The A. Lords is a wonderfully serene piece of pastoral music, based on guitar, organ, and field recordings. The ever impressive Sharron Kraus comes with the very nice little “Horn Dance”. More esoteric things are happening with Alphane Moon, who offer a brilliant mix of semi-gregorian singing and the mystic acoustic sounds we’ve come to expect from these people at Oggum Records. Even more occult is English Heretic, of course, as always exploring obscure folkloric subjects, and presenting the results in the form of experimental music, here with electric guitar freakiness, wild vocals, drums, and samples. “Stained Glass Morning” by Sand Snowman is a great piece of psychedelic folk, combining superb acoustic guitar melodies with soothing female vocals.

And that was just the first 2CD part of the collection! If you get this album, be sure to get the free MP3 download as well, because there are quite some hidden gems in there as well. Of course, no time to mention them all, but here’s the ones that stuck with me most. First of all, Far Black Furlong present a wonderful epilogue (again with great oboe work) to the already excellent The East Room album, also on Woven Wheat Whispers. Odd one out is American novemthree, who nevertheless brings two convincing instrumental track of his foresty folk with nice percussion. Alan Trench and Martyn Bates‘ Twelve Thousand Days presents “Thistles”, a wonderful track from their 2006 album From the Walled Garden. Other work of Trench’s is also featured, with nice tracks by Orchis and Cunnan. Paul Newman‘s “Lavondyss” is a very good melancholic track on vocals and acoustic guitar. We also get a very nice selection of tunes from some of England’s finest mediaeval artists, such as The Daughters of Elvin and Steve Tyler. Best of all is Misericordia‘s “De Poni Amor A Me”, a superb song based on hammered dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, and bagpipes.

I haven’t mentioned all, of course, and this is not the place for an even more in-depth approach. It doesn’t mean the unmentioned tracks aren’t good or interesting, of course, because this compilation has a very consistent quality level. What’s also not mentioned yet is that in addition to a load of great music, John Barleycorn Reborn also has a very firm folkloric concept. A selection of artists, as well as project initiator Mark Coyle have written short contributions in the booklet, to clarify their feeling towards this compilation, and towards the new folk revival that is being documented by it. For I believe a revival is a correct term. Folk music and lore has served as an inspiration to many artists over the past two decades or so, John Barleycorn Reborn is one of the first to provide an overview of at least a part of this area of music so full of original approaches. I firmly believe that this set and its followers will serve as a monument to this revival, and I imagine myself looking back to this in a couple of decades with a sense of nostalgia. I commend Woven Wheat Whispers and Cold Spring for putting this together for us, and I’m looking forward to the followups. Anyone who wants to know what’s happening in underground folk music these days should absolutely get this treasure trove! Even for those who knew many of the artists already, there is loads to discover.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

Part 1: Birth:

1. The Horses Of The Gods – John Barleycorn (3:56)
2. The Owl Service – North Country Maid (2:39)
3. The Story – The Wicker Man (2:30)
4. Damh The Bard – Spirit of Albion (4:15)
5. Mary Jane – Twa Corbies (5:13)
6. Andrew King – Dives and Lazarus (6:29)
7. The Triple Tree – Three Crowns (5:37)
8. Sol Invictus – To Kill All Kings (5:55)
9. Sieben – Ogham On The Hill (Remix) (4:03)
10. Sharron Kraus – Horn Dance (3:30)
11. Charlotte Greig And Johan Asherton – Lay The Bent To The Bonny Broom (7:54)
12. Pumajaw – The Burning Of Auchindoun (5:43)
13. Peter Ulrich – The Scryer & The Shewstone (5:06)
14. Alphane Moon – Where The Hazel Grows (4:30)
15. English Heretic – Hippomania (6:50)
16. Far Black Furlong – Icy Solstice Eye (3:28)

Part 2: Death:

1. The Anvil – John Barleycorn Must Die (4:37)
2. Tinkerscuss – To Make You Stay (2:55)
3. The Straw Bear Band – Trial By Bread & Butter (3:37)
4. Electronic Voice Phenomena – The Sorrow Of Rimmon (3:56)
5. The Purple Minds Of Lazeron – Dragonfly (4:21)
6. Sand Snowman – Stained Glass Morning (5:56)
7. The A. Lords – Summerhouse (5:11)
8. The Kitchen Cynics – The Guidman’s Ground (4:18)
9. Quickthorn – Pew Pew (2:32)
10. Clive Powell – Reed Sodger (4:19)
11. Venereum Arvum – Child 102: Willie and Earl Richard’s Daughter (aka The Birth of Robin Hood) (7:33)
12. Drohne – Nottamun Town (6:55)
13. Stormcrow – Gargoyle (6:16)
14. Doug Peters – Pact (4:21)
15. While Angels Watch – Obsidian Blade (5:07)
16. Xenis Emputae Travelling Band – John Barleycorn: His Life, Death And Resurrection (4:52)
17. Martyn Bates – The Resurrection Apprentice (2:42)

Part 3: Rebirth:

1. Magpiety – The Rolling Of The Stones (2:05)
2. The Story – All Hallow’s Eve (5:07)
3. Telling The Bees – Wood (4:44)
4. David A Jaycock – Bonny Jaycock Turner (2:46)
5. Yealand Redmayne – Oh My Boy, My Bonny Boy (3:49)
6. Charlotte Greig and Johan Asherton – The Bold Fisherman (4:37)
7. Steve Tyler – Tierceron (4:02)
8. The Wendigo – The Wendigo (6:32)
9. The Owl Service – Wake the Vaulted Echo [Tigon Mix] (4:52)
10. Far Black Furlong – The East Room V (3:35)
11. Xenis Emputae Travelling Band – Brightening Dew (3:14)
12. Sedayne – Corvus Monedula (4:05)
13. The Straw Bear Band – Bear Ghost (5:08)
14. Novemthree – Scythe to the Grass (2:33)
15. Paul Newman – Lavondyss (4:59)
16. James Reid – Kingfisher Blue (5:17)
17. JefvTaon – (Digging The) Midnight Silver (4:24)
18. Wooden Spoon – Children’s Soul (1:49)
19. Big Eyes Family Players – A Dream of Fires (3:20)
20. Sundog – Kilpeck June 2007 (4:15)
21. Clive Powell – Ca The Horse, Me Marra (11:14)
22. Mac Henderson of Grand Union Morris – Jack In The Green (2:41)
23. Cunnan – Seven Sleeps, Seven Sorrows (11:58)
24. Orchis – The Silkie (3:46)
25. Twelve Thousand Days – Thistles (5:30)
26. Novemthree – Harvest Dance (2:32)
27. James Reid – Elder (3:51)
28. Mary Jane – When I Was In My Prime (5:06)
29. The Daughters of Elvin – Ognor Mi Trovo (3:19)
30. Misericordia – De Poni Amor A Me (6:15)
31. Venereum Arvum – Child 102 (lily flower mix) (7:54)
32. The Anvil – John Barleycorn Must Live (5:39)
33. The Sunshine People – The Old Way (1:07)

Review: Sand Snowman – Moth Dream (2006)

admin — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 23:00:17 +0000

artist: Sand Snowman
release: Moth Dream
format: MP3
year of release: 2006
label: Woven Wheat Whispers
duration: 45:23

detailed info: discogs.com

Sand Snowman is a one person project from London, whose initiator is credited as “The Snow Snowman” in the booklet. On Moth Dream, Snowman displays a quite original mix of acoustic and electric guitar playing, various other instruments, and a lot of effects and manipulation.

All of this is combined in a quite psychedelic and relaxed approach to music. On many of the instrumental tracks we encounter a soothing mix of melodies and effects, which both produce the dreamy and shadowy feeling that is also called forth by the album cover and the titles. On “Moth, Dream, Smokescreen”, “The Serpentine Suite” and “Federlin”, Snowman shows some excellent guitar playing, somewhere between classical guitar and modern interpretations, all slightly reminiscent of James Blackshaw‘s work. Paired with the great ambient and freaky atmospheres in some parts, this would make for quite an excellent album. Sadly enough, there is a downside, and that is the part where the bass and percussion kick in prominently, especially on “Ghosts of Dust” and the second part of “Light, Space, Shadow”. Somehow these parts are too ‘funky’ and psychedelic rock for my tastes. Not only because of the way they remind me of 70′s TV show theme songs (in a bad way), but most of all because they combine horribly with the calmer parts of the album, greatly diminishing the atmospheric potential that these songs definitely have.

This important lesser point really bugs me, and prevents this album from being convincing. If you enjoy a bit of slightly cheesy rock in between, and you’re in a light mood, perhaps this won’t bother you as much. But, whichever way you turn it, this album is not suitable as a 45-minute dream trip, which it easily could have been. A missed chance.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. Ghosts of Dust (6:45)
2. Moth, Dream, Smokescreen (5:08)
3. Light, Space, Shadow (8:57)
4. The Serpentine Suite (15:03)
5. Federlin (6:28)
6. A Brief History of Humiliations (3:02)