This is my first exposure to this longstanding project, so I'm not sure how it compares to their prior releases, but it is a nice slab of ethereal, melodic experimental music. At times tangible stringed instruments are used and things are much more musical, while in other cases the material revolves more around abstract drones and textures with the occasional presence of percussion. "Man Bites Spoon" is a bit more involved as far as the programmed beats and panning sounds flowing back and forth, but it's incredibly hypnotic in its eight-minute duration, and one of the strongest pieces on the disc. I absolutely love the guitar pieces as well, notably the classical styled picking and brightly chorused simplicity of "Tangle in Delirium". Superb. The unusual singing in "A Sun to Lift Sleep From the Weary" is pretty fucking terrible though, not to mention an enormous disruption smack in the middle of an otherwise cohesively flowing piece of work. As one might expect the recording quality is rather impressive here, with plenty of depth and a clear mix that doesn't lack any detail. Visually everything is very simple, with little text, a few tiny images, only three or four colors used, etc. Very nice. I especially find the simplicity of the front cover to be highly effective. Overall this is a really interesting CD. It would have been far more powerful had "A Sun to Lift Sleep From the Weary" been omitted, thus making the disc a more concise 50+ minutes that wouldn't be disrupted at all, but this is still worth looking into for some of the more open minded fans of experimental genres.
[Release]
Running time - 64:59, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: Swans and Ponds, Man Bites Spoon, Tangle in Delirium, Dweller on the Threshold]
Release Entertainment - http://www.releaseentertainment.com
