|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
review by Dene Bebbington ARC is the name under which the two well known British synth artists, Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve, collaborate. It's an interesting musical combination - Ian Boddy runs the DiN label which turns out contemporary electronica and has released several solo and collaborative albums; Mark Shreeve has also released solo albums and has been involved with Redshift (which he founded) in retro '70s style (think Tangerine Dream) synth music. Blaze is ARC's third album, being not too dissimilar from Radio Sputnik in the overall feel. Though analogue equipment is used on the album, they're [the artists, ed.] not treading retro ground by any means. Rather than being one of those albums that hangs together to form a coherent whole, the tracks on Blaze tend to vary and have their own unique character. Half of the eight tracks, including the first and last, are predominantly rhythmic and percussive with sequencing, drums, and hi-hat helping the synth sounds deliver a pulsating structure. After listening to a lot of drifting ambient lately, it made a nice change to put this CD in the player and be faced with the searing opener "Blaze" on which ARC let rip - especially with the drums and cymbals. Interspersed between the rhythmic tracks are soundscapes with a darkness and edginess to them. The track "Trial in Scarlet" is a good example. It made me imagine walking through the grounds of an old haunted house in the dead of night. Some of the sounds are distinctly eerie and I could imagine this piece being used in the soundtrack to a scary film. As with many other collaborations between artists who do a lot of solo work, the result in Blaze is more than a sum of the parts. Here the talents of Ian and Mark come out even better than on Radio Sputnik, in my opinion. Blaze should appeal to those who want something exciting to listen to but also enjoy spooky soundscapes and ventures into hard to describe synth creations. Definitely recommended. |
|
