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INDIUM The Russian label "Electroshock Records" has, until now, given us attractive confrontations between orchestral and electro-acoustic music. With Richard Bone's new album "Indium", it broadens its scope of exploration to atmospheric ambiences. This is a meeting of American-Soviet influences, and more particularly the all-out opening of a new musical frontier. The new project by American composer Richard Bone is a penetrating exercise in musical weightlessness. On this occasion, "Electroshock Records" wanders a bit from its usual aspirations, and replaces its usual style (of joining orchestral contemporary and electro-acoustic music) for a modernized approach at relaxing resonances of ambient music that from time to time come close to New Age. A recognized artist in this genre, and among other things founder of the "Quirkworks Laboratory Discs" label, Richard Bone shares similar musical inclinations as some artists on the "Hearts Of Space" label, such as Steve Roach. The musical style is deep and luxurious, with faint layering and structured resonances rather than heavy and dense. The atmospheres are equally progressive and mellow, but the harmony that follows varies enough to break up the face of tranquility. Sparse piano notes resound finely on the sonic walls of the surface releasing lovely harmonic nuances ("In A Space Between Marigolds", "Jasminia"), and then return the darker atmospheres, machinery noises that hauntingly come from the main title. A musical universe of controlled mischief, it will delight in keeping you interested.
Reviewed by Laurent Catala ("Octopus/Movement"
- France) Many thanks to David for his help with the translation. |