Ben Frost & Daniel Bjarnason - Solaris (Vinyl LP, CD)

I've only seen the film of Solaris once but, like another Tarkovsky classic 'Stalker', it lingers in your mind long after, a strange, eerie meditative experience. This is the work of two contemporary avant-producers, one in particular clutching onto an ascending star at the moment. After the chilling, foreboding  growl-fest of 'By The Throat', new material from Frost is highly anticipated. This imaginary soundtrack to the Polish existentialist SF classic made in collaboration with Daniel Bjarnason doesn't disappoint remotely. Imbued with longing, fear and wonder, this is a deep and powerfully resonant work of enticing neo-classical moodiness, these two composers approach the project from often sonically restrained angles constructing a massively elegant and evocative piece of work. Combining the might of the Krakow Symphony Orchestra and Frost's visionary dark shifting electronics, it is both grounded with the humanity of the orchestra and off up into the stars with the deep ominous ambient theatrics, communicating at a better rate than the humans and extra terrestrial species of this most cerebral tale. Largely a relatively relaxing, thought-provoking listen 'Solaris' has many moments of grand drama and austerity but also radiates in the most beautiful way. Top marks lads (and undoubtedly ladies in the orchestra)