“This album reveals us an astonishing artist rich in ideas and audacities”
1 Devoted Loss 15:07
2 Confronting Conscience 6:36
3 Atmosphere of Amalgamation 9:42
4 Reversion to the Unborn 5:04
5 Path to Phenomenon 9:41
6 Virtual Reality 5:32
7 Catalysis 6:29
8 The Silent Visit 15:52
9 Conclusion 4:01
(CD/DDL 78:55) (V.F.)
(Melodious Berlin School)
Cadenced Haven is an artist from Bangladesh whom Gert Emmens discovered and took under his wing during the recording of The Nearest Faraway Place Vol.3. She played synths on the track Conclusion and since then, they have been working closely together to refine this 1st album of Laila Quaraishi, PEREGRINATION. In fact, 5 of the 9 tracks that comprise this album are the result of this artistic collaboration, giving it a strange artistic signature where the fascinating world of the Dutch synthesist blends beautifully with that of Cadenced Haven.
Fine, slightly metallic percussions gently hammer out the hazy, wispy intro of Devoted Loss. Female voices join and moan under discrete sinuous strata of a vaporous synth that embraces a celestial and spiritual phase. Devoted Loss offers a very ethereal intro that quietly comes out of its morphic trance under irregular pulsations, vaguely reminding the sequenced universe of Gert Emmens. The rhythm finally reveals itself. Delicate, it pulses on good sequences with a hypnotic waddling and keyboard chords which jump in a tender sound universe. A universe where everything seems fragile. As much the soft strata of a symphonic synth, whose solos are cast in silk, as the sequences which draw a rhythmic imprint of tenderness. A cosmic tenderness enveloped by dreamy voices that perfectly match this hybrid cadence where the rhythm sways in a heavenly ambience. An ambience jostled by a final whose hammering rhythms come and go in a soft chaos with the scents of rhythmic rebellion. This finale with its dithering cadences kicks off an album where the rhythms are in constant duality. Following the resonant voices of NASA, metallic percussions a la Jean-Michel Jarre on Calypso are falling with a bang. Confronting Conscience then leads to a cosmic intro where space voices intermingle with human voices tinged with anguish. Witness of the scene, the synth shapes long sinuous strata which undulate under fine pulsations. And bang! The percussions fall with clatter, drawing a heavy and slow tempo imprisoned by a synth whose slow strata undulate and intertwine on curt and noisy strikes that hammer a constant tempo. Heavy and sinuous on a hammered rhythm! Quite the opposite of Catalysis and its infernal tempo which leans on a good bass line and sequences which palpitate under the strata of a syncretic synth and of Atmosphere of Amalgamation whose heavy pulsations follow one another at high speed under the strata of a synth with enormous sinuosities without end. More experimental than purely electronic, Atmosphere of Amalgamation is the rhythmic equivalent of a series of minimalist pulsations that straddle the rails of a train rolling at high-speed under the slow unfolding of heavy cumulus clouds. Reversion to the Unborn is the very first track where we are alone with Cadenced Haven. After an atmospheric intro where fine tabla percussions shape an imprecise tempo in a heterogeneous sound universe, a slow synth layer opens a new portal where the rhythm gets livelier. A rhythm supported by good percussions and coated with good strata of a mellotron synth where a choir and flutes intermingle to offer a soft melody which floats above a solid rhythm.
Path to Phenomenon offers a strange cadenced structure where the sequences palpitate and wave at high speed, a bit like on Atmosphere of Amalgamation, in an almost atonal movement. It's a long series of pulsations divided by passages of synths with symphonic strata, piano chords and ethereal vocals that are quite different in this musical universe, which is still quite bubbling with frantic sequences. Virtual Reality plunges us even more into this duality of rhythms which animates the musical universe of Cadenced Haven. Its first part offers an ambient and floating movement where floating synth strata get lost in strange muffled voices. Symphonic, the synth spits out brief stray solos while percussions push the pace. A tempo which leans lasciviously on solid percussions and a synth with languorous layers which pierce a structure always sitting between two tempos. The Silent Visit is a superb title which requires more than one listening. After a good atmospheric and very natural intro, sequences flutter on the spot like wings of dragonflies which create an inanimate but very real rhythm which takes life on good percussions. Dynamic percussions which parade under a synth with sober strata and syncretic streaks. Sci-fi puts into music! Chaotic rhythm where anarchy reigns in a sumptuous electronic atmosphere. Those who enjoyed the strange world of Clara Mondshine will love this. Conclusion is similar to Conclusion from Gert Emmens' album The Nearest Faraway Place Vol.3. The very first track where Gert met his muse.
PEREGRINATION is as fascinating as melodious! Of course, the 5 tracks with Gert Emmens distort the data because it sounds very Gert Emmens. On the other hand, on each of the tracks you can feel the Cadenced Haven approach. An approach carefully detailed on the 4 other titles. Where its paradoxical cadenced universe is articulated on rhythms and ambiances as unexpected as attractive. In fact, PEREGRINATION offers 2 in 1; a mini album of Gert Emmens where we find his boiling sequences and an introductory mini album of Laila Quaraishi which reveals us an astonishing artist rich in ideas and audacities on rhythmic structures full of surprises.
Sylvain Lupari (October 5th, 2010) ***½**
Available at Groove nl
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