|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
review by Dene Bebbington Rather than being another studio album, Chiasmata is actually a live album which was recorded at the National Space Centre (in the UK) in November 2003. Apparently Ian has often used concerts to test out material that may be re-worked into a studio release, but with this concert it was felt that the music worked well live and would be too difficult to recreate in a studio environment. I'm not sure of the exact breakdown of new to existing material on the album - a couple of tracks are definitely from Aurora ("Gravity Well" and "Ecliptic") and some of the other pieces may be from other albums. Anyhow, it's not until the end of the penultimate track where the audience is heard demonstrating its appreciation that one knows it's a live recording. Ian is not a musician to constrain himself to one particular style, even if his music often has something about it that is recognisably his - so it's no surprise that on Chiasmata there's a good variety of styles. The first four tracks are generally the most spacey of the album, starting with the darker and mysterious tones of "Gravity Well" and then "Dark Matter". The mood then becomes lighter and contemplative in the lovely and gently rhythmic "Ecliptic" which features a bleepy refrain over various effects and pads that makes this piece come across as an ode to the slow dance of the planets around the solar system. Finishing off this "quartet" of tracks is the most beautiful piece on the album, "Lightfall" brushes the soundscape with soothing synth washes and features wordless female vocals which sound quite operatic. The remaining portion of the album is focused at a more organic subject level, and it is also contains the most rhythmic pieces to be heard - including somewhat martial elements which can be found in the title track "Chiasmata". The concert initially closes with a restful improvised piano and synth piece aptly named "Still Point" before being upstaged by an encore in the form of "Mechanic Organic" which could best described as a restrained cacophony. Fans of Ian's music should relish Chiasmata as it's got everything that one would hope for from this musician: from the delicate heavenly pieces, the spooky and more experimental soundscapes, to the energetic rhythms. |
|
