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Review by Mark Morton Akwara presents us with a long piece, heavily reliant on sampling. The piece is largely ambient, with some percussion, including some dominant percussion in part 1, and Klaus Schulze influence, though this influence is relatively light. There are several long sections that sound like portions of an orthodox service and chanting, most notably in parts 3 and 5. These are mixed in with the synth washes and chorales in a very effective manner. There are many pretty sounding pads and chorales, with an emphasis on lush string sounds, emotionally ambiguous progressions and a few Schulze-like sequences. The piece is slow moving, for the most part, with chorales alternating and interweaving with sampled natural sounds, sampled electronic sounds that are further altered in the sampling process and synth effects. Several of the sequences are bright and move the piece along. The sequence in part 1 sounds like an early 90s techno sequence, including a four on the floor drumbeat , but, like many of Schulze's later pieces, Akwara manages to make this fit into the ambient framework. Among the highlights are a section of high and low flute sounds in part 1 , the many fine synth chorales and the peaceful and reflective sound of the monks chanting. The piece overall was very expressive and lends itself to reflection. One slight drawback was a certain sameness to the chorale and synth string pad sounds. I enjoyed this and recommend it for fans of reflective music and fans of Schulze's late 90s style. |
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