I can’t post in the album thread but here is what i was going to say on the two albums you gave links for
Boerd
I quite liked the feel of the first album and the track ‘snatch’ stood out and on my cyrus stuff really sounds nice.
But I’d say far from being less safe, it’s the other way around. Nice feel and mood but not musically coherent, constructed, and melodic like the belbury circle album I posted.
There are so many people on the internet churning this sort of stuff out on computers which is very simple bridged repetitive musical themes which are too simple. You can tell they are amateurs. So i think it may sound like as if it’s very original and less ‘safe’ but it’s not really. The guy on the wigwam that has the post called chill out loves this sort of stuff as he writes it himself. For me, sorry, being brutally honest - it’s not got much talent, it’s not musical, and often what I’d describe as elevator or background music.
You could have a lot of it playing at a relaxation class or some Pilates. The track ‘oro’.....”Breathe in and out.....breath......relax......feel yourself leaving your body”. Sorry excuse me for my sarcasm.
Kettel and Secede - When Can (2012)
This album I really like as it works as an album. I suppose it’s loosely an ambient and chill out album, and will suit anyone who likes these genres, that is experimental or concept in nature but the tracks go in lots of different directions and have a different feel. The first track has lots of atmosphere and then it goes into an ‘air’ esque track with slow baseline and delicate instruments and harmonies.
‘Admittance’ is good with these Gregorian monk chants, a bit like enigma mcmcx ad if you can remember that one, but slower and more atmospheric. The next track is fun and quirky with the sampling of owls with a harpsichord melody, that sounds like it could fit in to a contemporary medieval film, maybe a theme in the holy grail monty python film. The use of instruments like the sitars on ringvanes, is wide. Some of these tracks like this one are more atmospheric and a bit of a mix mash of everything which just works like classical complex music. Not necessarily a melody but everything bunged in.
The tracks like missing time is all ‘soundscapey’ with harps and the next track goes a bit more like some orb stuff or future sound of London etc, very ambient, which wouldn’t hold water for me as individual tracks if the rest of the album was not so varied. A kind of interlude in the middle if you like.
When you get to the end it comes back to life and starts going all orchestral and smooth again with lovely melodic sampled vocals. I love the last 3 tracks. The trippey ‘full moon’ and then the gorgeous melody of ‘grandcan’ which is a synth melody with lots of accompanying harmonic synths and swirling sounds, somewhat introspective.
I really quite like this album. It’s well constructed, the musicians are clearly talented and it does its job in the genre and much more. Thanks Electro for recommending. Haven’t checked out third one yet. Still enjoying this one!!
We should start a good chillout downtempo thread on this forum? What do you think?