ELUVIUM - Nightmare Ending

Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Ambient | Heft: Jahrgang 2013, eclipsed Nr. 152 / 7-8-2013 | VÖ-Jahr: 2013 | Wertung: 6/10 | Label: Temporary Residence | Autor: BSV


With the title "Nightmare Ending", Matthew Cooper deliberately leaves open the question of whether the nightmare ends or whether it's about the end of a nightmare in the new album of his solo project Eluvium. The man from Portland, Oregon has divided all his new tracks into "flawless" or "full of flaws" and distributed them accordingly on the two CDs. But which of the two CDs actually contains what? Cooper creates ambient soundscapes, interspersed with piano miniatures, mostly a carpet of different sounds, rarely hints of rhythms ("Envenom Mettle"), and long-lasting drones that hardly change. The solo piano in "Caroling" (CD 1) is crystal clear, while that in "Chime" (CD 2) is slightly alienated. All the synthesizer drones on CD 1 are warm and harmonic, the ones on CD 2 are too, but sometimes they are accompanied by noise. But there is no trace of ticks here or there. However, the album has one flaw overall: Apart from "Happiness" (with speech singing and tuba sounds) it doesn't dare to break out, it always remains in the same structures: solo piano or drones. A little more life, please.

Top track: Don't Get Any Closer

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