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Recommended by us on 11th June 2011
...according to our Clinton on Fri 10 Jun, 2011.
You might as well read the letters page in the Daily Star as peruse the press release of this new CD on Nomadic Kids Republic to try to gather some information about the latest 'sound sculpturist' to come off the conveyor belt. The problem is, though, that it's increasingly difficult to write about music like this without sounding a) pretentious ("These sounds were layered like lichen on an ancient pantheistic sculpture") or b) rehashing the same old phrases - "drifty", "evocative", "late night listening". This is very much like about 1,000 other releases to have emerged this year, all with improvised themes or detachment inspired by nature, appearing in sleeves with a mysterious out of focus print of a woodland glade. I don't mean to pick on it, as usual with this kind of thing it will either evoke some glorious, wonderful feeling in a half-remembered haze...or it won't. It's basically low-end drifting, like a tumble through a forest in slow motion. Violin scrapes are used to good effect whilst bell like sounds tinkle away. The best tracks sound like a slo-mo rural Murcof with chilling atmospheres creating a mood of disturbed tranquility.
As a sort of pantheist, or at least an artist who finds great stories hiding in the vast visual subtleties
of nature - Subtle Trees is a classical music collage as much as it is an homage to classical music.
It's core is created through sounds gathered in the owl hours by sampling ancient instruments whose
cores were derived from the trees of nature. These sounds were layered like lichen on an ancient
pantheistic sculpture.
One of the adventures with listening to music is attempting to peruse the potential meanings within
it. Sometimes there might appear to be a drama that twirls concept and story while other times the
meaning may liken to a leaf that's fallen from heaven with abstract intent. Likewise, Subtle Trees
rests between two spaces of concept and simple campfire tale. Either way you approach your
attempt at defining the lines that run between these tracks, close your eyes and choose your own
adventure.
01 enter off color tear 02 swallow shallow 03 gemutcycle
04 tight phase of pollen inertia 05 resting grass
06 slow pulse of epocal light 07 symphony for exiting
entropies
Jack Xavier said:
what has norman records become, bitchfork? i find it tragic that writers use their talents to slander music rather than help promote it. way to go clinton for helping to boost your employers sales! save your subjective wind and go work for pitchfork already :P
So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!
Norman Records,
Unit 20, Croydon House,
Croydon Street,
Leeds,
LS11 9RT, UK.
Tel/fax: (+44) 0113 245 4399
Email: phil@normanrecords.com
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