Subaqueous 'Re:Create' Review

Artist: Subaqueous

Title: Re:Create

Label: Merkaba Music

Released: 24^th March

As the title suggests this release is a collection of re-mixes from the album 'Tides of Twilight' released late last year. The original release was a melting pot of down-tempo ambience, dub & global grooves and the artists (many of which I'm unfamiliar with) on-board this project further compliment those vibes.

The album open's with Yaima's take on 'Dusk's Dawning' which provides a low frequency ethnic dub-step background contrasting with the light airy female vocals. This is followed by Bogtrotters re-rub of 'Voyage' which again contrasts the light and the heavy in a unique style he calls 'Swamp-Step'.

The Moonfrog re-mix of 'Glimmers' was a bonus track on the original album and thoroughly deserves it's place here as it's a lovely laid back affair with plenty of chimes, flutes and classical strings. 'Subconcious' on the other hand take the similarities of 'Depth of Field' into the realms of bass heavy dub-step. 

Guda fuses ethnic tribal rhythms and tablas alongside reggae and glitchy dub-step with 'The Dissolve'. Whilst Drumspyder's Arabic electronica once again injects a mystic blend of tribal rhythms and strings employing the usual Dharbuka's and Oud to 'Insistent Shades' with impressive results. 

Anchor Hill take an instrumental approach with their version of 'Dusks Dawning' and it's a bit of gem with eastern flutes, harmonica' stabs and guitars layered amongst the sparse bass-heavy contrasts. While Kozmo get real gritty with their low-frequency dub-step growler of 'Phase Shift' 

Skytree has a unique take on 'Voyager' it's almost as if they've ripped it up and glued it back together at times glitchy and others like psychedelic smooth Jazz. HANNAH complete's the trio of 'Dusk's Dawning' re-works on the album which focuses more on the melancholic strings than the previous two. Which provides a slowed down Gypsy feel to the piece. 

Finally Entheo see us out with another version of 'Glimmers' which initially toys with the vocal before releasing it and the result provides a combination of acoustic-pop and sun-soaked electronica.

Overall I enjoyed listening to this release which injects a fresh feel to the more arm-chair orientated original and although theirs a certainly elements of chill remaining overall there's a tad more bass and growl implemented.

Review by Woodzee.

Links …

https://subaqueous.bandcamp.com/album/recreate

Subaqueous 'Tides of Twilight' Review

Artist: Subaqueous

Title: Tides of Twilight

Label: Merkaba Music

Released: 11^th November

This is the fourth album release from Seattle producer Issac Cotec a.k.a. Subaqueous, along with various e.p.'s and re-mixes and live performances with the likes of Bluetech and more recently Living Light.

This release is part of a wider multi-media experience through Epoch Legends working in tandem with associated images by Ryan Johnson and Dave Peixoto and a story penned by Elise Barrett.

The album opens up with 'Insistent Shades' featuring Kalpatura Tree it switches between psy-dub and world music creating a wonderful dream-like ambience. 'Depth of Field' leans more towards IDM but retains the soothing ambience and eastern instruments that provide the illusion of a band.

The title track which features George Sadak and Guda delves into the world of the Indian Raga's with tablas and bamboo flutes layered over an ethereal background. It sounds pleasant enough, although initially I was puzzled as to why this was selected as the title track. Well at least until the sax kicked in and transformed the piece into a laid back jazz fusion.

The album continues in a similar fashion and although it retains the eastern elements of previous releases there's a more gentle approach with touches of a wider musical influence entering the fold. 'Glimmers' featuring Michael Maricle for example has no catchy hook and the dirty low frequency bass is an infrequent background to the light airy chimes and classical piano. In contrast 'Stillness Dawns' featuring Desi has an almost shoegaze quality to it, a feeling enhanced admittedly by the vocal.

The album also contains a couple of bonus tracks. The first 'Ethereal Being' featuring Kelly Castel Scott and Soham which vocally reminds me somewhat of an old Smith & Mighty track but doesn't quite hit the spot. While Moon Frog re-works 'Glimmers', it's a soothing alternative with a classical feel, which provides suitable armchair music for a Sunday afternoon.

Reviewed by Woodzee

Links …

http://subaqueousmusic.com/music/

Aligning Minds "My Heart Is Remixed" Review

Artist: Aligning Minds

Album: My Heart Is ReMixed

Label: Gravitas Recordings/Critical Beats

Release Date: 5^th November 2013

I’ll have to admit I’ve not heard the original album “My Heart Is Love” by Aligning Minds. However, having been impressed by their re-mix on the Desert Dwellers album “Re-Calibrated 2” and having heard the promotional Androcell Re-Mix of “In The Wake Of Forever” featured on this album my mind was aligned with the sound and I was more than happy to give an ear to this selection of re-mixes.

The album is part of the Critical Beats series which we have previously mentioned before and money will be donated to RAN (The Rainforest Action Network)

For further info on Evan Marc’s Critical Beats project aimed at helping the indigenous people of the rainforests and RAN see the links below.

http://criticalbeats.org/main/

http://ran.org/

The opening track is Anvil Hands take on the title track which layers a chilled atmosphere and soothing soulful vocals over slo-mo deep bass stabs. I’ve never heard of Anvil Hands or the original track so I’m in the dark as to how similar or different the track is to the original. It’s not the greatest or catchiest track you will hear, but I think it achieves a laid back atmosphere so a good start all in all.

The album continues fusing elements of ambience, dub-step & glitchly electronica of which there’s nothing wrong but it doesn’t really grab me until it chills right down with the Androcell re-edit I mentioned before (a welcome respite to the previous track which got a little hectic) this track really is quite special featuring beautifully alluring vocals, perfectly laid over soothing music and when the psy-dub interjects it compliments perfectly. All in all a sterling job by Tyler.

Overall, the album is well produced drawing on a range of styles and sub-genres, some which I find appealing and others not so much. But it does contain a few gems alongside the Androcell re-mix. I thoroughly enjoyed Krusseldorf’s glitchy ride through ambience with their take of “Oak Kalendar” and Shortmanb’s reggae vocals which sound almost vocoder’ish in places offers a different outlet to the rest of the album.

Reviewed by Woodzee

Links

http://music.gravitasrecordings.com/album/my-heart-is-remixed

https://www.facebook.com/aligningminds
http://soundcloud.com/aligningminds
http://gravitasrecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/gravitasrecordings

InVibe Music Souls Emerge Compilation Review

Artist: Various

Title: Souls Emerge

Label: InVibe Music

Release Date: 7^th May 2013

InVibe are a collective of musicians from Seattle whose ethos is to spread and share music that is made from, in their own words "beauty, heart and pure groove that transcends the norm. They look out for their producers on their roster and if you look on their home page you will see some very pleasing pie chart comparisons as to how a usual record company shares their profits and how they do.  Producers take note. They are up for the revolution.

With that said, into the album. 'Souls Emerge' is a compilation of some of the best artists on the label. It begins with the mighty Kalpataru Tree's remix of Citta Flows 'Cloud Story'. Once again he creates a sonic healing through his ability to tap into frequencies that at once are fully ground yet at the same time lift you into the realms of the spiritual aether and always underpinned with that earthy dub bass he does so well.

 It then moves onto Subaqueous's remix of Michael Maricle's 'Look' a desert dwelling excursion that conjures up being in a Bedouin tribe round the fire of the evening head nodding to a desert hip hop sound all sand and tied up camel's braying in the near distance.

GUDA's 'Benares 'Sunrise' brings it back (but not harsly) to a more western feel with a jazzy saxophone but still keeps with that tribal percussion sound. This overall is subtly done.

 The tempo rises slightly with Eyan Green's 'Para Angle' where he brings it to the dance. Think of glitch hop styling’s, a subtle 'wob wob' bass but so much warmer and understated but with just enough krunk to get the feet moving with warmth synth lines and a hint of that Bil Bless sound. 

Mas's 'Fireside' drops a beautifully infused hang (drum) infused with breakbeats all dohl drummed to perfection with disjointed faraway voices and a synth line that I'm not ashamed to say reminds me of Duran Duran's 'Save A Prayer' all brilliantly done.

Leave Trace's 'Quintessence' brings it fully into the warmest of dub techno with the heart beat pulse of a barely recognisable kick drum that reminds me so much of Paul Kalkbrenner's remix of Ellen Allien & Apparats 'Jet' but with that said he still creates his own unique airspace with his own thermal bass and beautiful folding synths n fx. 

Babajaga's 'Procession' once more takes us cross continent back to desert blown winds but this time with melancholic strings that speak of loss and longing whether in the personal or the greater picture but with a beat that calls to arms and to stay strong.  

With Leave Trace and Michael Maricle's 'State of Decay'  the earth plane is left and just about in contact with some static radio transmission of mission control but there is an underlying heartbeat that says "go further" and with a breakthrough on in to the stillness, orbiting, looking out to the majesty of this beautiful planet

The album closes perfectly with De La Lune's 'United Souls'.  Echoing sparse piano chords and a female voice (unknown) speaks to the warriors of this world to bring together the love that will see us through this one to a new and better world. 

Keep the faith People x 

CKAJ 

http://invibemusic.com/

Subaqueous - Threshold of Night Review

Artist: Subaqueous

Title: Threshold of Night

Label: Critical Beats

Release: February 2013

‘The Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel for those of you, who don’t know, tells the story of 16 year old Pi being stranded on a boat with a 450 pound Bengal Tiger. Without giving away the ending (the Tiger did it, in the library with a blunt instrument to the head)!!!

I found it to be a story about Faith...a belief in the more beautiful story, although it presents us with the problem of two differing versions of ‘the truth’. Stick with this it will make sense in the end!

The primary goal of Critical Beats was to raise awareness and money for non-profits working in Amazon conservation and sustainable education. Initially funds were raised through the release of a compilation album constructed through the following steps …

Step 1:

Indigenous songs, instruments, nature sounds, stories, and spoken word are gathered from tribal communities, sustainability schools, and artists in the Amazon and Sacred Valley

Step 2:

The recordings are shared with music producers around the world

Step 3:

New songs are created which incorporate the collaborative efforts of both cultures

Step 4:

The new songs are compiled into a Critical Beats album which is used to raise awareness and funds for Amazon conservation

Step 5:

Events are held featuring the original music created for the Critical Beats project

Step 6:

Through dancing and celebrating, listeners and attendees are contributing to a cause while gaining increased awareness of the state of the Amazon, its communities, and possible ways to take action

Step 7:

All proceeds go to projects and non-profits in the Amazon working for conservation, sustainable education, and protection of indigenous rights.

This concept has continued resulting in further releases from a variety of artists most notably the album “Rainforest Reverberation” by Bluetech (a.k.a. Evan Marc who has been actively involved with the project).

Last month Critical Beats transferred $5000+ in previous album sales to support organizations like Metareilá of the Suruí People in Brazil. This group is a Rainforest Action Network Protect-An-Acre participant who is using Google mapping and carbon rights to help protect their land.

Moving back to the music “Threshold of the Night” the latest release from Critical Beats depending upon your viewpoint this is either-

A) The first view is that this is an EP with four tracks of solid, but on the whole unspectacular music and two tracks, 1 and 5 standing out above the rest.

Track 1 ‘Shimmers in the dark’ featuring Jamil opens with a Sufi quote that ‘everything is light, even in the dark there is dark light’. Which surely could be considered a parable for our times? It then proceeds to develop into a sinuous Dub bass driven track with the sensual spoken words of Jamil.

Track 5 ‘Visions embrace’ featuring Masaru Hig sounds like a delightful collision between Mediterranean sounding guitars and what sounds like a Japanese instrument. This is a truly delightful track that floats by like the promise of spring on the breeze.

B) The second view is this is an EP full of six tracks ideal for horizontal listening with tracks 1 and 5 sounding out above the rest.

Track 1 ‘Shimmers in the dark’ featuring Jamil opens with a Sufi quote that ‘everything is light, even in the dark there is dark light’. Which surely could be considered a parable for our times? It then proceeds to develop into a sinuous Dub bass driven track with the sensual spoken words of Jamil.

Track 5 ‘Visions embrace’ featuring Masaru Hig sounds like a delightful collision between Mediterranean sounding guitars and what sounds like a Japanese instrument. This is a truly delightful track that floats by like the promise of spring on the breeze.

So...using Life of Pi as the analogy (at last...I hear you cry) you can choose which version to agree with...which is the more agreeable story? Which version will enrich your life?

Don’t just listen to me , dear readers, go out and make your own minds up and remember ...it’s all for an exceptionally worthy cause.

Reviewed by Matthew Foord 

Links http://www.criticalbeats.org/