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/

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/

Kalpataru Tree - Lunminosophy Review

 After a full 2 years in the making Curtis Humphrey's new album 'Luminosophy' is finally complete.

The album has already received glowing reviews from the likes of Pathaan, Nova and Treavor Moontribe to name just a few.

It is evident just how much musical craftsmanship has gone in to producing it too.There are no fillers in Luminosophy and with each track averaging 8-9 minutes it is apparent the amount of heart and soul that has being poured into it.

The idea it seems behind the album is to create a listening experience that although unmixed creates a cohesive transitional journey that lifts the listener from the everyday state to a higher point of consciousness and in so doing healing and realigning the energies of the listener. There really is a tangible feeling of re-harmonising that comes from listening to the album as a whole. 

This is done through a subtle dance between warm emotive synths, gentle guitars, sprinkled dusted keys and psychedelic effects. All this is underpinned by earthy dub bass lines that effectively keep one rooted whilst the head is allowed to journey off into inner space.

The drums and percussion are top notch too. Intelligent programming and arrangement designed to complement the sound and just enough to create the amount of energy needed to propel the tracks forward.

The album opens with the liquid feeling of 'Art Official Nature' that develops from a bubbling stream of effects to a much more tangible yet still very subtle dub all intelligently crafted.

This sets the tone for the vibe of the album, however there is movement and individuality within each track for instance 'Naked Soul Dub' has a much more contemporary dub vibe to it.

The only vocals on the album are from 'I Can't Feel' but the ethereal quality to them means they compliment and don't interfere with the vibe created.

'Red Moon' closes Luminosophy with echoing synths and flutes that give voice to the ancient memories of the Earth creating a feeling of stillness and timelessness.

Luminosophy is more than a body of music albeit beautifully crafted music. It is healing in and of itself and I guarantee that you will feel more at peace from having immersed yourself within it.  

Review by CKA John

Luminosophy was released on the 30th of May 2012 and can be previewed and a digital copy purchased on the following link http://kalpatarutree.bandcamp.com/album/luminosophy-2