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ElectronicScene.com
John Sherwood |
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The first 50 copies of the album come with a bonus disc with extra material on it, this review however will concetrate on the the main 'Electronic Forest' album itself. Packaging is somewhat simpler than GrijsGebied, being a normal CD jewel case with HS Recordings' trademark monochrome artwork. Perhaps this time to say that this is more of a normal HS release, than a uniquely packaged extravaganza like GrijGebied or OpenStage. Anyway, what about the music. Well although there are separate tracks listed, the album is actually organised as two 'suites' of continuous tracks separated by a single track, so you get two long pieces, with a shorter piece in between. The tracks in the suites are seamless, flowing one into the next, sometimes so cleanly that you don't realised that the track has in fact changed. Tracks 1 to 5 form 'Electronic Forest Suite 1', track 6 is the single piece 'Capricious', while tracks 7 to 14 form 'Electronic Forest Suite 2' Electronic Forest Suite 1 Shards Beginning with a background ambience, the track gradually takes shape out of the darkness, like a shadow appearing through the trees, then taking form as it approaches. Then the most glorious flute-pad tells you that it's started. Chirping things in the background add to the sylvan flavour, but then disappear, leaving the flutes to play in the glade. Hidden After a series of FM-like tones at the end of 'Shards' it moves effortlessly into this track. Continuing the basic theme and atmosphere, the sound here is completely vast, like in some huge cave. Fire The intensity builds up and up, like flames reaching towards the sky, being reborn as new, always upward. Built on a huge wedge of string-sound, with other sounds and metallic edges searing in the heat, this is like a huge ever-burning fire that consumes the listener, strange yet immortal, feelings and power. Shimmer Taking the metallic theme as its basis, this now progresses into a shower of tiny particles, each reflecting the fire as it dies down. Sand The amazing atmosphere continues, now on a higher plane, as octaved strings flood the wash. This is a truly beautiful piece, in my opinion the best on the album. Capricious Night time, huge clang pianos, this could actually have been played in a huge cavern. Notes cascade out of the cave wall, like gushes of crystal water, splashing onto the rockfloor, cold, yet full of life. This track features the heavenly vocals of Tatiana Brainerd, neatly woven into the fabric of the music, maybe could be a little further forward, but still totally captivating, soothing against the hard piano, soft flesh against the rock wall. Electronic Forest Suite 2 Ritual Opening gently with a background drone, setting the scene, a short track to begin this second journey. Magic Building on the scene alreadt set, more elements drift in quietly, creating a dreamy atmosphere of short breaths and long shadows. The various parts interact, and create a truly magical feeling. Undergrowth As darker tones creep in, a feeling of unease begins to pervade the scene, like a black cloud has covered the sun. We are looking down below, into the darker realms of the forest, where strange and ugly creatures live in the gloom, where the dank roots and pale ferns press together, some looking for the light, other avoiding it. Halo Light break through, the light of heaven. We are lifted up into a beautiful glade, where love and peace are present, where the green carpet is illuminated by the light of life. Life Continuing the theme, but more airy, with superb string-pad sounds coming in, and whitenoise washes breaking like waves on a primeval seashore, while that first fish climbs out of the sea, and enters the forest. Hunter More ominous now, with the sharp percussive shots of the hunter's arrows reverberating, here some tinkling, now a twittering bird, the hunter is stealthy, only appearing when the time is right, then moving on. Electronic Forest The title track, starting with a feeling of trepidation, then building, with new layers coming in, gorgeous high-register synth sounds sweep around the soundfield. Distant string-pads shimmer in the background, while the drone pays the theme, then all fades away. Smoke Then it comes back from the near-silence, for a very quiet and short 'epilogue' track at the end. A sort of background ambience that swells up, then fades back into the blackness. Well, at the end of this journey you know you've listened to one of the best ambient albums ever released. Mathhew and friends have for over an hour taken you into their picture of the Electronic Forest. You have been totally immersed in the most atmospheric musical description, drifted away into their world of tones and drones. The album as a whole holds together much better than GrijsGebied, in that whereas that was a collection of related pieces, each track separate, this is a complete piece in itself, in fact it's easy to forget where you are in it, and you need the track number display to get you back in sync with the titles. The main theme is there but very subdued, in that the album has a theme running through it, but it is more of an atmosphere than a melody, more of a feeling than a sequence. It is an evolution drawn in music and sounds, a sound-picture drawn from the pallette of ambient textures and softly played drifting notes. It takes you away into itself, the visual imagery it generates is striking, just let yourself float free into the music, close your eyes, and enter the Electronic Forest. It's a journey well worth making. |
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