Wind
and
Wire
Electronic keyboard wizard
and wunderkind Richard Bone is running out of frontiers to
conquer (thank god - I'm getting tired of raving about this
man and his awesome talents!). Disorient is his
homage/tribute/what-have-you to world fusion music. And, it
comes as no surprise, he's done it again. This album is so
freakin' enjoyable that damned if I didn't play it twice as
many times as I needed to before writing this review. Mixing
his sly sense of fun with a more overt rhythmic intensity,
exotic percussion effects, and world music sensibilities,
the Boneman has yielded a recording that stands toe to toe
with his "hip" trilogy (Electropica, Coxa, and
Ascensionism) while barely anything like them. If I
had to pick my favorite from among these four CDs, I
couldn't do it - all of them are winners, pure and
simple. "In Japa" starts the
Disorient party in a subdued vein, blending
quasi-gamelan musical textures and rhythms with a soft
free-jazzy piano line. Tinkling bell trees lend a tropical
air to the festivities. The lightness in the repeating
refrain just naturally put a smile on my face, as I pictured
myself lazing about in a hammock, sipping something cool
(and not a soft drink either, if ya gets my drift). Synth
choruses complete the picture, whispering like an ocean
breeze. "Barhoom" makes it clear
that Richard has more on his mind than just relaxing (yet
hip) instrumentals. The percussion on this cut is right in
your face - shakers and bass drums are counterpointed by
various electronic keyboards and some wild synth strings
(tuned to sound like a cello and upright bass section). When
the more overtly world fusion-like elements chime in
(tambourine-like percussion, wood sticks, and Eastern
modalities), things start cookin' in serious
fashion. There are also more obvious
excursions into modern day electronica on this album,
proving that Richard wants to show he can keep pace with the
best "young" artists in contemporary chill-out. Witness the
Eastern-flavored drum and bass number, "Sudanaram," which
could land on any one of the many releases I have heard on
the Six Degrees label lately. Then there's "Intricate
Autumn," which opens with spacy synths and delicate bell
tones, but is shortly overtaken by polyrhythmic hand drums
and slow tempo quasi-jazz piano. East Indian tabla dance
around the periphery (and they're mixed delightfully - use
the headphones!) and it's easy to visualize sitting in a
cafe in New Delhi, listening to a jazz band play something
like this. Another electronica-laced
number is "Arabaya," which just flat out kicks ass -
seriously thumping bass beats, rapid fire rhythms, and
synths right out of a London all-night Asian Underground
rave (Talvin Singh and Joi - look out! The Boneman is after
your crowns!). The first time I heard this I thought "Whoa!
THIS is my beloved Richard?" But after a minute, my ass told
my head to shut up and get down. And that's what
Disorient is about - getting down. Richard has
yielded an album chock full of fun, even when it's subdued.
Representing a true melting pot of world fusion electronica
(dig the Mediterranean textures meets gamelan rhythms of
"Patterns of Motion"), this recording is brazen as hell yet
so accessible and likable that I'm tempted to buy copies for
all my friends. Spin this one all the way through and if
your feet never start tapping, you had better get thee to a
doctor and have your pulse verified. As a summation, while there
is no denying the overall world music feel to this CD, those
who normally shy away from that genre should be aware that
Richard Bone seldom does things in an ordinary way. So
despite the presence of traditional musical elements from
India, the Far East, and the Middle East, there is also a
healthy dose of the same cyber-electronic magic that fills
his previously mentioned masterpieces. If you get all the
way to the sultry snaky rhythms of the album's last cut,
"Buddha's in Baghdad," and say that you didn't have at least
a partly good time, well, my friend, you simply do not know
how to live. Yes, Richard Bone has once again delivered the
goods - this time with liberal doses of curry and cilantro
it seems! review by
Bill Binkelman
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Richard Bone, one of the most chamelon-like artists in EM/ambient music today, has released still another great album. Tales from the Incantina is a recording of musical impressions of the Toltecs, an ancient and spiritual people, and their relationship with their gods. But, this being Richard Bone, don't expect the usual ambient-tribal fusion music. This is not o yuki conjugate or anything remotely like it. In fact, this recording is proof once again of Richard's ability to both re-invent himself and also to stay uniquely Richard Bone. How the man does it is anyone's guess. Maybe he did a deal with Elizabeth Hurley, a la Bedazzled? (Or perhaps it was Peter Cook?) Musically, a lot of Tales from the Incantina is, believe it or not, a variety of spacemusic. Occasionally cast somewhat (emphasis on the somewhat) in the mold of Serrie, Vangelis and, more recently, Anthony Baskey, Richard also mixes in some Tim Story along with some of his usual whimsy. The result is an album that is warm, melodic, frequently minimal, and yet also rooted firmly in EM-land (even retro EM at times). The opening cut, "In Said Katun," features lush synth choruses rising and falling over a background of positively celestial synths. While Richard has never been one for gloom-and-doom dark ambient, the sheer ethereal nature of this song surprised even me. It's a soaring slice of spacemusic. The second cut, "Nagualito," introduces some motifs of the rest of the album - an undercurrent of subtle electronic bass notes, a somewhat muted piano played in a minimal style, and echoed vibrato synth notes, panned from side-to-side. There is a faint air of something retro to the underlying electronics and some of the lead synths as well, but it's a pleasant nostalgic feeling to my ears. "A Column of Glyphs" continues with the virbrato-synth textures, along with some mellow other keyboards, sounding like they strayed over from Coxa. The lead melody is taken by a mournful sounding keyboard and the cut becomes a bit wistful, maybe even sad. Synth chimes, a tad Vangelis (circa Chariots of Fire) enhance the air of regret or loss. It's a lovely and melancholy number. At the end of the song, the synths shimmer like diamonds before the sad refrain returns. "Inevitable Zen" opens with a kind of distorted effect, sounding like quickly turning a radio volume up and down repeatedly. I wish I had a better description for the effect, but I don't. Very quickly, a minimal piano melody predominates, although this strange reverb-like effect continues in the background, rising and falling. The highly impressionistic piano on this song reminded me of Tim Story. Washes of other synths merge with the opening effect and the piano. Here's another cut that has an air of either sadness or reflection to it. With about a minute and a half to go, an oboe (!) floats into view, and now the Story comparison is emphasized even more. By the way, for those who don't know it, my comparisons to Tim Story are highly complimentary. I hold him and Mr. Bone in very high esteem! "The Fifth Riddle" lightens the mood a little, mixing piano and swirling synths, with a stereo-panning vibrato effect. The panning, unfortunately, is a tad distracting on headphones, but on loudpseakers it's just fine. By now, on Tales from the Incantina, one thing that struck me was how electronic this recording sounds. I mean, Richard's music is almost always EM-sounding to some degree. But this, because it is not the same kind of ambient as Etherdome or The Spectral Ships (which were more floating and/or drone-based works), makes use of lots of spacy textures and overt electronic effects. Still, this is Richard Bone, and even at its most electronic, the album still maintains a humanity and emotional weight that most EM can't even aspire to. Finally, on "Ley Lines," the CD turns significantly lighter in feel. And we have some pronounced rhythms, too. A midtempo bass line, burbling and bubbling, underscores a lively (but not too) melody. This song brings a nice balance to the recording, especially coming in the middle section. It's not "pop," but it's very accessible; yet, nothing at all like the songs from his "retro-jazz" trio (Electropica, Coxa, Ascensionism). By the next song, "Corazon del Cielo," we are back in more introspective territory, this time thanks to a combination of flute and synth strings. "Dzibana" is exotic, again using some retro-sounding synth effects and synth washes alongside the piano. Rather than a pure "melody" the cut has more of a faint impressionist flavor, with repeating musical phrases. Classic spacemusic synth textures and chords open the cut titled "Nine gods nine." The overt spacemusic touches on Tales from the Incantina were wholly unexpected by yours truly. It's nothing I thought I'd hear from Richard Bone. But he handles it with his usual style and grace. Synth bells/chimes play notes over the synth textures as the song heads for deep space (or, since the inspiration is on Earth, the listener's gaze turns to the stars). Two last cuts grace the album with still more retro-EM, that delicate minimal piano, and warm lush underlying synths. There is a delicate sense of equilibrium to most of the music on Tales from the Incantina. While this is not catchy, it's not really ambient in the usual sense either. The songs are much more unstructured than, for example, Ascensionism. But they're also not floating ambient soundscapes, such as on Etherdome. They're something in-between. The last song, "Sanctus Sonora," has a high-note keyboard, piano, and bell-like synth, doing an almost ballet-ish graceful dance. The music is soft, delicate, and almost fragile. These are not the usual qualities I associate with Richard Bone's music. How do I feel about this album? I like it. In fact, the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. It's a fairly substantial departure from the last five recordings of his that I've heard. There's still that Bone flavor, but it's mixed in with some new spices. Ambient fans who never warmed to Richard's retro-jazz triology should find Tales from the Incantina much more to their liking, and spacemusic fans who are not averse to piano mixed in with synths will likewise hear a lot of great stuff on this recording. In the end, though, Richard Bone proves that he is possessed of a singular artistic vision. Idiosyncratic to some, genius to others, he's a musician who continues to walk a different path than the norm. Now that he has delivered something far afield from past efforts, only the muse knows what's next. |
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Completing his trilogy that began with Electropica and moved on to Coxa, electronic keyboard maestro Richard Bone has ended his journey with Ascensionism. Drawing equal parts inspiration from the concept of the Ascension Schools (a Middle Eastern/Egyptian philosophical and religious belief system) and the beat poets (such as Jack Kerouac), Richard has finished his three-part series in sterling fashion. If you enjoyed the first two segments of this trip into "hep cat-land," you'd best add this one to your collection as well. The opening cut, "Waters of Assiyah," (I'll let the more ambitious of you go to the website at http://mkmk.com/bone and read the glossary of terms, thank you) has a smooth sultry rhythm, sexy piano line, funky bass, bluesy trumpet and synth chorus. Now, I ask you, is there any doubt in your mind that this is a Richard Bone CD? Swear to God, I could listen to this man's music every single day of my life. It may be the most affirming music in the world. I remember when Richard told me in an interview several years ago about how he didn't like "dark ambient" music but preferred things in a lighter, more positive vein. Listening to any of the of the CDs in his trilogy, I now know just how committed he is to this philosophy. (Yes, his work on Spectral Ships and Etherdome is somewhat "dark," but it's still warm and inviting to my ears). "Sister Samadhi" is FUNKEEEE! Bubbly synth notes and beats, synth pan flute, and a sexy vibe take this cut into the cyber-lounge and park it there - yeah baby! Birdsong (!) and tympani signal the start of "Kavvannah," a departure from previous cuts. The world beat textures here are more overt (but not "in your face" either) and the cut has a more "serious" air to it. It's not pretentious in the least, though. Instead, it's softly spiritual, even with its accentuated rhythms. But, if you think that track was atypical, wait til you hear ""Ariel Dane and The Seraphim Swing" which offers up a lazy piano melody, breathy synth choruses, and carnival-like twinkling synth notes. A unique-sounding snare-drum beat enters the song alongside a trumpet; the results are excellent. The song is luxuriously pretty, as synth strings swell and then subside. The next selection, "Walkin' the Dharma Blues," is a return to the retro/cyber Bone I know and love. Quasi-Wes Montgomery-like guitar licks, sassy Hammond B3 organ and jazzy rhythms epitomize the hipness that has made these three (the trilogy) albums so much fun! A Miles Davis-ish trumpet line only adds to the picture. Next up, the title track could have been lifted off Coxa, with its bottom-heavy bass, electric piano, and ultra-sensuous rhythms. I'll leave some of what's left as unexplored, so that it's a surprise. But, "Sultry Sally's Meditation Alley" is just too damn cool not to mention. Tongue-in-cheek throughout, the song is laced with Herbie Mann-like flute lines, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and infectious midtempo rhythms. I've said it in a lot of ways but it bears repeating. Richard Bone, in my humble opinion, is a musical genius. His homages and extrapolations that comprise his "retro" trilogy are near perfect musical expressions that are both singularly unique and emotionally satisfying. Coxa, his previous CD, seemed to stay on my CD player forever (and with good reason, too!). Ascensionism joins the ranks of that release and Electropica as the final chapter in this series. I don't know if a single artist has made three more enjoyable albums than these offerings from Richard Bone. Filled with sly wit, genuine warmth, and plenty of sex appeal, Ascensionism (and its two cousins) are all winners. Highly (sky-high, in fact) recommended! (And yes, there is a bonus cut on the CD, again...but if you think I'm spoiling the surprise, think again!) |
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Richard Bone is a god - let's be honest about it. How else can you explain him recording four albums as good, and yet as different, as Electropica, The Spectral Ships, Coxa, and now, Etherdome, all in the course of just two years? I have used up my thesaurus on this guy. I have no superlatives left. Oh well, time to repeat myself. The man of a thousand (musical) faces has released Etherdome, a stunning ambient album. Leaving behind the darker shadings and noir textures of his earlier The Spectral Ships, Richard traverses into warmer and more spacy territory. Sounding like a hybrid of James Johnson, early Jonn Serrie and the more electronic side of Tim Story, Richard creates a emotionally soothing yet sonically challenging collection of songs that somehow are vintage Bone yet also refreshingly new. (Damn, I gotta get a better thesaurus!). Song titles are deliciously obscure (at least to me) but the music contained on Etherdome is wonderful. The album opener, "The Induction of Gilbert Abbott," has floating piano-like notes counterpointed by swirling lush washes of synths and synth choruses. It's a classic space music track for sure. "Unawakened" begins with some quasi-Tim Story minimalism, as a subtly muted electric piano and synth entertain a delicate yet beautiful simple refrain, soon joined by low key synth strings. As the album progresses, songs continue in a relaxed yet never soporific vein. Trust a genius like Richard Bone to record an album that can be this serene while still infusing the music with enough "quirkiness" (sorry, couldn't resist) to keep it away from any new age noodling or over-the-top relaxation excesses. How does this guy do it? Of course, this wouldn't be Richard Bone if some stuff here wasn't really unique (the idiosyncratic "The Letheon Men" which is about as dark as this album gets - and that's not very dark). On several cuts, for example, "Peripheral Nerve" with its subtle semi-vibes, the astute listener may even pick up shadings reminiscent of Coxa. "Lucidity Soul," likewise, could also be a cut on Coxa, but slowed down - way down! "Plateau to Level 30" does have a small amount of spookiness to it, with its use of "breathing" effects, but later in the song major key synth washes bring the song back into safe territory. "Silverwake" is, perhaps, the best cut on the album. With two different minimal piano lines and underlying gentle synths, it just fills the air with pure ambient bliss! Since this is a Hypnos label release, it's sonically perfect with excellent mix and top-notch production and engineering, as well as label head Mike Griffin's characteristic starkly beautiful CD layout and design. In case you haven't gleaned this yet, Etherdome gets a super huge thumbs up from me. Positively a "must get it NOW" for all ambient lovers and, in my opinion, space music fans as well. Richard, I'm beggin' you. Please. Do not release any more masterpieces for awhile. I gotta give my brain a rest from coming up with adjectives. Could you maybe do a Partridge Family tribute album - there's no way that even you can salvage that, or can you? |
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Richard Bone keeps re-inventing himself musically. After the trippy fun-filled Electropica, I never expected the dark and spooky release I'm listening to right now. Talk about versatile - yikes! What's next? The first ambient blues CD? Spectral ships are ghostly images of ships (or images of ghost ships) that appeared on the horizon at dawn or dusk. If that description doesn't chill your blood a little, listening to this great collection of drifting ambient soundscapes, which walks a line between eerie beauty and downright terror, will help the chill factor along nicely. The CD opens with "The Serpentine Arcade," an almost elegiac haunting synth number, anchored by soft chiming bell-like tones in the background while dark deep bass tones rumble ominously. A vocal sample at the end talks about heaven and hell and at that point you better buckle up. It's a deliciously dark ride ahead. "Nocturna" starts with what sounds like a sonar-blip repeating out to the horizon. Very ominous deep bassy synths float in and the mood turns foreboding. Beware listening to this with the lights out, kids! "Fata Morgana" is even darker to my way of thinking, as deep rolling synths are mirrored by the sounds of waves. It's fascinating what Richard brought to this party. Lots of dark ambient music is not necessarily "beautiful" or "pretty." The Spectral Ships, however, is brimming with a dark beauty as it weaves its mysterious and haunting spell over you. Richard's keen sense of melody and composition add a new dimension to music that can leave me feeling cold and sterile. While this recording is quite unnerving at times (check out the opening to "Palantine" with its ghost moaning effects and synthesized wind and some of the deepest rumbling bass I've heard in a while), it has a fascinating musical appeal. Dare I say it - this is an accessible dark ambient recording! One of my real guilty pleasures in film is John Carpenter's earlier work, The Fog. While his (and Alan Howarth's) score for that film was pretty damn creepy, trust me, this is the real soundtrack for a tale of ghost ships! If you want to scare the pants, skirts, or whatever, off of your Halloween party-goers, get The Spectral Ships. But, make sure you keep a keen eye on the horizon. If you see a shadow in the night, take care. review by Bill Binkelman (this review was originally published in Wind and Wire, the magazine) |
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Richard Bone has done it again! Following hot on the heels of his excellent dub-stylistic ambient recording with John Orsi (A Survey of Remembered Things, reviewed in issue 3 [of the hard copy version of Wind and Wire], Richard has re-invented ambient-dub/electronica by marrying his wonderfully idiosyncratic approach with his passion for bossa nova music. The result is the incredibly infectious, bouncy, trippy, fun and seductive Electropica. This one should definitely put Richard on the map. If fans of electronica do not gobble this CD up in record numbers, there is no justice in the world. When I talked with Richard for the interview in issue 3, he mentioned his love affair with the bossa nova musical movement of years past. He mentioned this project and I did a mental "Oh no!" because I have a limited capacity for adventure (I made the same mistake when I first learned of a Jonn Serrie holiday album). Don't fall into the same trap I did! This is a fantastic recording that will appeal to lovers of sultry smoky electronica. Yeah, there is no such thing&emdash;until now, that is. Starting off with "The Andean Gray," Richard dials in the bossa nova rhythms, melded with swirling synths and cool as ice electronica. The song sets the pace for the release and the delicious ear candy to follow. As the song unfolds, Richard brings in breathy flute and piano as the piece morphs into something sexy and film-noirish. After that great beginning, listen to the strains of the title cut, with its synthetic "scratches" in the mix (which made me think of old record albums). Then there's the oh-so-mellow synth-sax swaying to a bossa nova beat that is just too cool! Swingers unite, baby! "Waveland" features bouncy percolating rhythms with a hint of dub&emdash;and fun galore&emdash;as a piano-laced melody line sends you dancing around the room. Fun is the operative word for this recording. Richard had also said in the aforementioned interview that he had little interest in negative or dark-sounding music (as much as he respected practitioners of same). Well, Electropica is the proof of that statement! It is a stone-solid blast from start to finish. As with all of Richard's recordings, the sound on this one is state of the art. Headphones are a must to get the best effect, unless you can crank it at home (apartment dwellers beware!). And you will want to turn up this music to squeeze every delicious note, chord, and rhythm from it. It is that good. It ought to be obvious by now that if you think electronica or electronic music needs to be dark or serious to succeed, you should pass on this one. But, you're missing out. However you slice it, daddy-o, Electropica is already a serious contender for best release of 1998. For lovers of ambient-dub who don't mind smiling now and then (are there any of you out there?), try this one on for size. It's guaranteed to kick start your libido! review by Bill Binkelman (this review was originally published in Wind and Wire, the magazine) |
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This recording is a unique
joint venture. It's not a collaboration. The two
electronic/ambient musicians "share" the CD, each taking his
turn to produce some very interesting and (almost) uniformly
excellent music. Richard Bone's "suite" is
named 'The Seashore of Other Worlds' and it's a great
collection of songs that shows off how electronic music
doesn't always have to be somber and foreboding. While not
"happy" music, Richard uses his keyboards and electronics in
a way that may surprise you. On"Chango" a midtempo beat is
established with electronic percussion while low key synths
arise in the background. A melody line appears played by a
muted calliope-like sound. Some of Richard's songs remind me
of a lighter version of the rhythmic stuff that Aphex Twin
did on Selected Ambient Works Volume II. However,
Richard Bone is definitely an original. "The Paradigm Pool" removes
some of the lightness from the previous track. Once again
the song starts out floating, only to have a polyrhythmic
series of beats emerge, balanced out with spacey and
mysterious synth washes. It's kind of like a 21st century
dance exotica from Mars. This is some of the most infectious
ambient/electronic music to grace my player in quite a
while. It may be a reach calling
this music ambient-dub, but I don't know what else to call
the presence of rhythm here since it's not of the sequencer
heavy-duty German variety. It's, well, it's funky. Not as in
funk, but as in "this is pretty funky!" "Mercurial Wave" has less of
a rhythm presence, as it floats along with a nice blend of
some chime-like notes, very low bass synth notes, and gentle
washes of sound. A light graceful melody begins, played by a
quasi-piano sound. This song may be my favorite on the
CD. "Komarov's Fire" brings a
mid to fast tempo rhythm to the forefront immediately.
Again, there is a piano-like melody, this time joined by a
nicely-layered synth chorus. The rhythm really kicks in
after a while with synth drums. If you can resist moving
your body (take your pick which part) while sitting down,
you have more control than I do. The song is infectious as
hell and just begs to be cranked up. Things really quiet down
with "Evaporata" as Richard brings his "suite" to a close.
Despite the overwhelming preponderance of electronics, there
is a lot of warmth to these songs. It's also more human
sounding than you'd expect from an electronic music album.
It doesn't have the "spaciness" that some dub has. It's a
great collection of songs. John Orsi's set of four
songs, called "Shiftworkers Confused By Rain" (you gotta
love that title!) is a more ambitious, but slightly less
successful, series of works. On the opener, "Ai de Li," mid
tempo percussion is joined by a simple repeating melody line
on a synth piano. What mars the song for me is the presence
of a voice-over beneath the music. Actually, it's not very
beneath. It's kinda right there. Maybe some of you will not
find this as distracting as I did. I'd bet that whatever is
being said is important to John (hell, it may be John at
times, for all I know), but it really puts up a wall for me
that keeps me from getting into the music. "In A Toy Room" starts off
in a jazzy vein, especially when compared to the rest of the
CD. Again, sampled sound effects detract from the music, in
my opinion. I'm sure this all means something to John, but
it's a mystery to me. The music is nice enough without it,
although I think this is the weakest track on the CD. Have
no fear, though, since the song is less than 3 minutes
long. John closes out the CD with
two solid efforts. "Broken Ballet" is spacey electronic
heaven, counterpointed by minimalist piano. After the
frentic nature of the previous song, this one really hits
the spot. It's somewhat sad and melancholy and all too short
for how beautiful it is. John brings in some very tasty
synth strings, used in a creative way, later in the song.
John's last song is "Rain
Delay" and it's another solid effort. There is a strong
rhythm presence developed in this song, quasi-jazzy at
times, but also dubby at others. When the synth strings come
in, the song just blossoms. What was just "okay" or "good"
becomes "pretty damn cool." For me, I wish John had done
four songs closer in nature to the last two of his "set."
Richard's part of the CD
clocks in at about 26 minutes (excluding a bonus track at
the end of the CD) while John's segment is about 14 minutes.
Yeah, it's not the longest CD in the world. So what! These
two guys have released a quality piece of work. While not
everything was to my liking, what is there is so damn good
that I recommend it without reservation to fans of
electronic music. As for the two songs by John that I didn't
much care for - well, maybe you'll like them better than I
did. And if not, that's what the old remote control is for,
isn't it? This is true independent
artist music, and as such, I'm behind it one hundred
percent. I hope you will be too. review by
Bill Binkelman (this
review was originally published in Wind and Wire, the
magazine)