7.25.2148

Artist: Makeup and Vanity Set
Release Date: March 28, 2013
Label: Telefuture Records


7.25.2148, the new EP from electronic duo Matthew Pusti and Christian Williams, is a conceptual record that musically describes a journey through space and the future. Filled with warm droning bass and rich synths, this album produces an enjoyable ambient vibe as well as some dance-able inflections. The rise and fall of each song creates a feeling that time has stopped, and each track appears much shorter than it really is. This helps suspend reality as the listener is transported through the final frontier.

As the opening track, “An Infinite Horizon” sets the tone of the album with a reverberated arpeggiation and background noise like that of an engine room. Immediately, one is thrust into a dream-like world of ambience and serenity. A subtle droning bass slowly replaces the background noise, and more atmospheric synthesizers drone in their upper registers. The song builds, and the continued arpeggiation holds a delicate beauty like the stars of space. Many subtleties may slip past as the song slides along without commanding any attention. This being said, in the realm of ambient music, it fits in perfectly.

Following this smooth ambient track is “Quadra IV,” which continues the concept of space exploration, but includes a driving drum beat and more synths with less warmth. The song is reminiscent of the arcade game Space Invaders in the feelings of urgency and danger as one tries to survive the perils of the universe. The track slowly progresses, and would maintain the ambient style were it not for the presence of drums. Like the rest of the album, the song maintains a nice burbling bass throughout.

Arguably the most interesting track on the EP is “Versions.” Opening with avant-garde like pinging sounds, the song grows to a whining synth and thick bass below it that gives a very spooky feeling. The song continues the dominantly ambient vibe of the EP, but with less musical sense and much more atmospheric tone. Rivalling this track is the closer, “Praxis.” Holding extremely different ideas, this track has some dancier house styles while still keeping in the sci-fi theme. The entire song is not as warm as the rest of the album, and uses much higher pitched synths and more rhythmic intricacies as well as melodic lines.

This EP holds true its conceptual ideas, and really depicts futuristic space travel in all of its eerie beauty. The overall warm droning and constantly rumbling bass comes off boring on a surface level, but the detail and progression comes through upon closer inspection. The inclusion of some good ambience and danceable beats provide for enjoyable listen either in the background or with closer inspection.

-Peter Fickenwirth

Shannon Graham and the Story Tellers

Artist: Shannon Graham and the Story Tellers
Release Date: April 16, 2013
Label: Canterbury Music Company


Coming from the mind of composer, violist, vocalist, saxist, Shannon Graham, this album attempts to create Graham's idea of "narrative composition," and succeeds incredibly. The album combines so many different styles of music that it is nearly impossible to define it any other way, and her ability to tell a story through her compositions only helps to justify the name. Graham, primarily a jazz saxophonist, draws heavily from the styles of jazz. The strange harmonies, scales, and melodies provide an uneasy feeling during times of chaos and dissonance, as well as bliss in its smooth calming lines. Equipped with 9 other players, the album employs sax, viola, violin, trumpet, trombone, vocals, and a jazz rhythm section. The album is very classic as well, which is amplified by the use of string instruments. The use of unison creates an interesting effect in timbre that ordinarily could not be achieved by solo instruments. Instead they gain a synthesized, uncanny quality.

"Samsara", the opening track, sets the tone of the entire work by opening with an ominous unison line from trombone and piano over sustained strings, that eventually descends into chaos, resolving to a groove established by the rhythm section that ties everything together. The song plays back and forth between dark and light tones. When the beginning theme returns, the strings are replaced by an ethereal chorus, which then leads into a more relaxed section. Like most of the songs on the album the main theme is returned to over and over again, but surprisingly does not feel annoying or repetitive.

"We've Come to Take You Home" and "The Truth Seeker" are arguably the best tracks on the album for their excellent employment of imagery and interesting styles. "We've Come to Take You Home" employs dissonance throughout, mimicking a bad dream that you try desperately to wake up from but despite your efforts you can't seem to manage it leaving you trapped in this dark world. The song builds to a fast paced drive from the piano and drums, and features trombone throughout. Towards the end, a unison chorus enters completing the terrifying feeling of this chaotic tune that continues to build and build until the very end where there is sudden silence; you've woken from the nightmare.

"The Truth Seeker" compares in genius with "We've Come to Take You Home" but is hardly similar. The song begins with strings and spoken word. The way that the entire song plays around the beautiful speaking voice, having very little melody while it is in use,  the voice becomes a melody of its own. Once again a dissonant chaos is found throughout but eventually morphs into a much happier swing-like tune featuring Graham as a singer. The spoken word is an inspiring tale about the creation of earth, and the singing plays off of this, explaining how the world is paradise. The listener can't help but feeling happy while listening.

Each song reflects the feelings and emotions that everyone feels throughout life; like a chaotic morning where you scramble around without being able to figure out whats really going on, until finally you settle into a groove, but the craziness is still there. It also highlights relaxed moments as if one is finally sitting resting after the rush and bustle of the previous chaos. Shorter tracks act as interludes of a single theme that provide a good transition between the beefier songs.

Overall this exquisite album has to be one of the best listens of 2013. The emotion and beauty of this album cannot be placed into words and still do it justice. The acute musicianship cannot even be described. My suggestion is to sit in a dark room lying on a bed concentrating only on the music. The experience is exhilarating. This work is absolutely an amazing expression of life and is by far one of the best albums of the year, and should confidently remain so.

-Peter Fickenwirth

Arbitrarij

Artist: Vsemogočni Mlin
Release Date: March 18, 2013
Label: ZARŠ


Exploring the realm of Fusion Jazz, the Slovenian group Vsemogočni Mlin combines elements of Jazz and Rock to create this exquisite debut album, Arbitrarij. Each genre is well blended featuring slightly distorted guitar and unison keyboard-guitar melodies with definite rock influences alongside jazzy chord progressions and solos. Even the percussion follows a nice combination of simpler rock beats and intricate jazz drumming that becomes increasingly complex as the album progresses.

"Goba", the opening song, has the feel of a jazz combo with a main melodic theme carried by both the piano and guitar, that morphs and grows into solos on both instruments. The piano and guitar interplay excellently providing both background and contributing their own soloistic ideas that are traded back and forth, eventually coming together and returning to the main melody to finish out the track. Almost every song on the album follows this same format, but keeps the listener on their toes as each song travels from beginning to end. Possibly the most entertaining part of this album, however, is the excellent bass lines and features. The intricacies can easily go unnoticed when not on display, but are showcased in both "Deževje" and "Silo" with the excellent use of harmonics that mingle with the guitar and a bass solo. This element definitely makes these two of the best tracks on the album.

The record provides some contrast in energy and style, but mostly passes between high energy rock-like tunes, and smoothed out relaxed tracks. The band creates a unique sound of excellent jazz with rock and roll overtones which comes together quite unlike any other group. Arbitrarij comes off as a very promising debut and a good listen for any type of jazz enthusiast.

All their music is downloadable on Bandcamp for name your price.

-Peter Fickenwirth