ambient
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Sometimes things don't really turn out as they should. This album came in several months ago, and since then I've become quite familiar with. I've been playing it numerous times, sometimes quietly and gentle, sometimes loud and overwhelming, depending on the activity I was engaged it at that moment. Yet,somehow I never started to write the review. One reason is the massive amount of albums to review, but another one is simply the fact that it isn't easy to write about ambient albums, no matter how good they are. I know, I can throw in some names like Brian Eno, Helios, Biosphere and so on but still, how to describe this, other than "cinematic ambient".
Of course, we all know what the combination of the words "cinematic" and "ambient" does to people. It makes them create beautiful and inspiring music, which is exactly what Eluvium has done. The American experimentalist has been around for quite some time now so he knows a thing or two about creating an atmosphere and about telling elaborate stories without uttering single word. Ok, in the opening track 'Strangeworks' you can hear some angelic chants but the majority of the music here is completely instrumental, and I like that. For the record, I absolutely love that opening track.
The album contains plenty of variation, even without beats or percussion. I already mentioned the angelic vocals but there's more. There are classical music passages, drones, jazz inspired instrumentals and soothing soundscapes. There is almost harsh noise , especially in the overwhelming 'Washer Logistics' while a track like 'Movie Night Revisited' comes up with a dark jazz element. 'Beyond The Moon For Someone In Reverse' seems to drone pretty much continuously, only showing vague flashes of melody while on other occasions the piano seems to take over.
In the end, I think the words "masterpiece" and "highlight" aren't out of place in this review. I've had a lot of time to absorb this album and I still love every single second of it. Fans of cinematic ambient, epic soundtracks and even classical music can easily trust this to be a welcome and much appreciated gem in their collection. So, if you haven't already bought it, you really should start thinking about it...
Serge
Of course, we all know what the combination of the words "cinematic" and "ambient" does to people. It makes them create beautiful and inspiring music, which is exactly what Eluvium has done. The American experimentalist has been around for quite some time now so he knows a thing or two about creating an atmosphere and about telling elaborate stories without uttering single word. Ok, in the opening track 'Strangeworks' you can hear some angelic chants but the majority of the music here is completely instrumental, and I like that. For the record, I absolutely love that opening track.
The album contains plenty of variation, even without beats or percussion. I already mentioned the angelic vocals but there's more. There are classical music passages, drones, jazz inspired instrumentals and soothing soundscapes. There is almost harsh noise , especially in the overwhelming 'Washer Logistics' while a track like 'Movie Night Revisited' comes up with a dark jazz element. 'Beyond The Moon For Someone In Reverse' seems to drone pretty much continuously, only showing vague flashes of melody while on other occasions the piano seems to take over.
In the end, I think the words "masterpiece" and "highlight" aren't out of place in this review. I've had a lot of time to absorb this album and I still love every single second of it. Fans of cinematic ambient, epic soundtracks and even classical music can easily trust this to be a welcome and much appreciated gem in their collection. So, if you haven't already bought it, you really should start thinking about it...
Serge