BRANNAN LANE AND VIDNAOBMANA

Deep Unknown

brannanlane.com music (2002)

reviewed by Bill Binkelman

Deep Unknown is a fairly apt title for part of this recording because the CD is really two albums in one. The first three tracks are a collaborative effort between Tennessee-based multi-genre artist Brannan Lane and Belgian ambient soundsculptor vidnaObmana. The final four songs were composed and performed by Lane alone, and there is a noticeable difference in these two "sections." The earlier cuts are laced throughout with signature vidnaObmana textures and atmospheres that long-time fans of his assorted other collaborations (notably with Steve Roach) and his solo works should recognize. The later selections by Lane alone are somewhat sparser and notably lighter in feel and sound.

As usual on ambient recordings of the last several years, some of the instrumentation credits are purposely cryptic (what, for example, are "atmospheres" and "recycling techniques"?) yet it's easy to tell who does what because Lane's credits feature things like synths, shakers, wind chimes, rain stick, and other certifiable objects (to his credit, one of vidnaObmana's credits is overtone flutes). This does not lessen the latter artist's impact on the final product. As I stated above, there is a subterranean depth and presence in the first three cuts ("Unfamiliar Territory," "Dark Descent," and "Points of Light 1") that I would attribute directly to him (because later selections don't share the same duality of claustrophobia and spaciousness that he is able to impart on his music).

For his part, Lane has become quite adapt at integrating subtle earthy/primal moods into this type of ambient music, mostly using the instruments I mentioned above. Besides the primitive percussive instrumentation, the echoed "drips/drops" that sound like they are emanating from some dark and mysterious underground caverns permeate sections of this album like palpable droplets of moisture.

Musically, you'd be surprised at how Deep Unknown is not that dark or forbidding sounding. Not that this is new agey or light, but the music itself is spacious and uses its warm swells of synthesizers and drones to such pleasant effect that I seldom got chills or felt that sense of dread that can accompany works like Rich's and Lustmord's Stalker or even Lane's own Lost Caverns of Thera.

The seven "tracks" on the album act more as time cues or vague signposts for subtle shifts in the musical paradigm. The music itself continues uninterrupted (track-to-track) as it segues subtly between selections. When the album moves from the collaborative section to Brannan Lane's solo efforts, the change is distinct but occurs slowly enough that only hyper-aware listeners will sense it until it is underway. When I listened to Deep Unknown on headphones during a late night walk, I had no trouble sensing the shift from spaciousness to a less dense and "softer" feel to the drones and washes of keyboards. The main musical thrust remains the same for the first "Lane" track (the motif is one of a ebbing/flowing predominant drone), but the final three tracks are markedly different (they are "Deep Unknown 1", "2" and "3"). It's here that Lane brings his arsenal of shakers, wind chimes, bells, bottle, and djembe to the forefront and displays his unique slant on ambient music, which he has patiently evolved over quite a few recordings in his still young career in this genre.

The music on these last three tracks has a strong spacemusic/ethereal quality to it, which stands in direct contrast to the pleasant oppressiveness of the album's opening. Not many artists can evoke deep space despite the presence of all those ancient hand-played instruments, but Lane's skill with the electronics and synthesizers makes it seem as natural as can be. Sometimes, the predominance of bells and chimes imparts a subtle Far Eastern texture to the music, but that evaluation owes as much to my affinity for Japanese music as it is anything the artist is doing, I would guess.

As the album evolves, the music gets even more traditionally "pleasing" and warmer in feel and tonality. I don't know if this apparent lack of consistency will play well with vidnaObmana fans who may look to this album for more conventional dark ambient soundscapes. "Deep Unknown 2" is certainly as far removed from "dark" or ambient-noir as anything recorded in recent memory. The gentle soundwaves and synths are more suggestive of Liquid Mind, albeit significantly "toned down," than of Steve Roach or Lustmord. There are mysterious elements that surface on the closing track, owing to minor key upper register synthesizers, but I still believe they are more evocative of outer space than caverns or dark closets. And even when the tones and washes take on a somber hue, the overall vibration is still positive, warm and inviting to my ears.

This duality of emotional impacts may turn some ambient music fans off, which is a shame. Deep Unknown, while not startlingly original or a landmark recording for either artist, is a satisfying excursion into disparate soundworlds, both of which encourage repeat listenings in order to explore every nook and cranny. Obviously, if you've never heard of either Brannan Lane or vidnaObmana, you're new to the ambient music genre. Is Deep Unknown a good introduction to these two artists? For Lane, the answer is yes. However, while vidnaObmana contributes a lot to the tracks he collaborated on, you're better off picking up one of his solo works or maybe one of his many combined efforts with Steve Roach. If you already know both Lane and vidnaObmana, and you enjoy their separate recordings, Deep Unknown should prove to be worthy of your time and your hard-earned money.