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Sonic Immersion - A Review by Bert Strolenberg
(2009)
THE GHOSTS OF HANTON VILLAGE
RICHARD BONE
"The Ghosts of Hanton Village" marks the 25th release on Mr Bone’s label
Quirkwork Laboratory Discs. It contains ten ambient/experimental compositions
that have been inspired by the folklore surrounding Hanton Village, a mysterious
commune in the northwest hills of Rhode Island, close to Richard’s home. It was
settled by a group of unknown travelers in 1790…who vanished without a trace in
1890.
For the music, Richard Bone envisioned an outcome that ranged from
dark, chilling excursions to musings filled with hope and promise, same as the
stories themselves. "Nemiah" and "A Silent Season" are quite happy
tunes, while "Pyrambala" (Solace and Embers) submerges in darker,
mysterious soundscapes.
"Lament for Evangeline" though is a moody and
classical exercise with a strong reflective, emotional realm, but in the
following tracks the unusual, quirky side of Bone’s music briefly shows up
again.
The excellent 15-minute "The Slumbering Sky" though feels
like a warm embrace with its glowing, slowly shifting vintage synth textures,
lofty piano and accompanying instruments. The next tracks nicely follow up to
that with their spacious sound design.
Nevertheless, this is 65 minutes
of well-executed gloomy music with a strong sense of remembrance. Occasional
spooky, dark and with abstract/experimental rims, it may be a harder to crack
and appreciate work for some ambient fans, but it will proof to be rewarding in
the end. On Richard’s website and YouTube one can also find a beautiful ambient
video complementing the "The Ghosts of Hanton Village" concept.
Bert Strolenberg
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