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review by Dene Bebbington The latest album from Ephemerid (the name under which musician Paul Jury records), Lost in Dust, is a fine collection of ten tracks where world music meets electronica. Traditional instruments with their exotic sounds and voices are mixed with electronics to create a very contemporary sounding fusion album that can take the listener to different parts of the world without him having to leave his [or her] armchair - in these respects it reminds me a lot of the Lonely Planet soundtrack albums. That's my take on it, but the artist describes the album as an " exploration of myth, legend and truth". Just over an hour of music is split across ten tracks, most of which are around five to six minutes long; this is about right for an album like this which seems to want to convey a different mood, theme, or experience of a place in each piece. Saying that, Lost in Dust is not disjointed because overall it has sounds that make the listener (this one at least!) think of Asia and Africa. What strikes me about this album is the adroitness with which the sounds of traditional instruments from around the world are blended with modern beats and rhythms. Listening to the first track "Menhir" I got a sense of deja vu, and after racking my brain for a while I realised that the driving rhythms are somewhat like those on the first track of Synaesthesia's Ephemeral. This is a good example of the overall tribal feel to the album due to the rhythms and chanting that occurs in many pieces, it's not heavy going though because in some tracks, such as "Bamboo Bridge", Paul demonstrates a deft touch - in this case with an oriental flavour of sounds incorporating flutes, tinkling bells, and oriental strings (possibly including the Erhu). I can recommend Lost in Dust for anyone seeking a relaxing, but also upbeat and occasionally haunting, musical trip to various places - as though one is briefly looking in on exotic parts of the world and time. |
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