Almo's Music Blog

A while back, a netlabel whose music I like to listen to mailed me to say there was this release: https://coldtearrecords.bandcamp.com/track/summer-rain It's part of a 6-track album, and it immediately struck me as an amazing piece of music. It starts with something that is pretty common in music that includes field recordings: 30 seconds of rain. It sets the mood well for what is to come. The type of rain in the recording and the first hints of percussion suggest light summer rain, as opposed to a deluge. The first two synth elements to arrive are in minor key, and continue the gentle nature of the sounds. The first is a little sharper, the second has a cleaner and more rounded sound. Already there's a nice mix of sound types, and that variety continues as it goes. The kick drum shows up along with another new synth sound, this one more melodic than the previous ones. Around 1:30 the rain is fading out, as yet another synth element is added to the mix. This one is ...

I found this album because it was recommended by Plaster (http://shop.kvitnu.com/album/mainframe) on Facebook, as it's composed by someone he knows. I feel pretty lucky about that; I'm not sure how I would have come across this otherwise! Available from Kvitnu (http://shop.kvitnu.com/album/ephemeral), it's an interesting blend of "gentle" and "edgy". I don't use the word "edgy" lightly, as it has been overused in recent years. Just follow the link and give the first track, "Drop Yourself", a listen and you'll see what I mean. It's rather quiet, and nothing abrupt or jarring happens in it; yet many of the sounds themselves have a harsh edge to them. It builds intensity, but in a way I've not heard very often in other music. I'm having a hard time describing it... I'll just say that the resulting experience is greater than the sum of its parts. It's one of the times when on first listen the first track set ...