after the 3 seconds of air gig - of which you can find a review on our blog here - we couldn't resist in buying some merchandise. rosebud went for the cd-only release and i went for the limited edition of 100 copies which is an all-in package containing the cd + lp pressed on clear vinyl + a 3 seconds of air t-shirt, all together in a custom printed shoulder bag that comes together with an authenticity certificate, signed by all 3 artists. there's also a limited edition of 400 copies release, which consists of the cd and the lp on black vinyl. all of this is released by tonefloat.
anyway, yesterday evening i had my very first real listening experience (consuming the music without doing something else simultaneously or being distracted by something annoying such as a babbling person or a playing television) and i had a great listening trip. in fact, the reason i'm posting this here is because i'd like to explain a few words about the lp. on that lp you'll find a song on side a that's not on the cd and side b offers you a 3 seconds of air song that was reworked by bass communion (steven wilson).
side a is in the same vein as the cd and sounds exactly the way rosebud described in his live gig review: a meandering sound tapestry that floats through air. it's very clear that air and space are very important for the music of 3 seconds of air. both components are critical parameters in making this music to reveal itself to its surrounding area.
what is absolutely amazing is that on side b, steven wilson achieved the complete opposite. as if wilson decided to put the total aspect of the music into a long tunnel in order to prevent the music from using air and space. instead, the music cannot go into any direction it wants to, but it can choose to go back- or forward or it can choose to crash upon itself. besides that, wilson also added a threatening drone that slowly but effectively tries to strangle the music. fortunately, 3 seconds of air wins this fight by strongly believing in the power of its positive music.
all of this is done very delicate and very subtle so you really have to listen to hear it, but once you've entered into a transcendent state, you will very much enjoy this listening experience.
source: mudbirdshivers blog
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
tf77, a review (10)
3 seconds of air consists of paul van den berg, martina verhoeven and dirk serries, the latter better known from projects vidnaObmana and fear falls burning. the album the flight of song was recorded in only two days in belgium, february 2009. in june the same year the album was being played live in the same chapel the music was recorded in some months before.
the three musicians are playing various guitar and bass instruments, in an ode to the psychedelic music of the late 60s, early 70s, and rooted through a tube of amplifiers. the cover states "do not play this album loud, no headphones required!"
there are only 4 tracks on the album, which starts with dead poets sing the sunless land, clocking in at 20 minutes. after a few seconds it's clear that this album is all about ambient guitars in slow-moving patterns of sound. sorry, but i find it utterly boring. i have to say that i don't really understand what people get from listening to this, other than probably falling to sleep. i can see the music function perhaps as a soundtrack for some kind of installation or something, but to put it on a 74 minute cd seems unneccessary.
track 2 is the 22 minute long the heart disintegrates wearing disposable masks of angels. It seems like long tunes must also have long titles. this is of course not much different from the first one, although it's maybe a bit more "threatening" and scary-sounding. perhaps music for nightmares rather than for dreams. i wonder if they had any ideas before they started recording, or if it's all improvised. the 18-minute warping night air having brought the boom is of course more of the same. maybe other people can hear differences between these tracks, but i can't. the closing track ghosts stream the harmony of delight is "only" 13 minutes long by the way. and that's really all I can say about it.
minimal ambient music seems to have quite a few fans worldwide, and i respect that other people may actually like this, but for me this was 74 minutes of wasted time. the music on the flight of song really doesn't deserve more than one point, but i'll give them an extra for the nice picture of the chapel. 2/10.
source: planet origo
the three musicians are playing various guitar and bass instruments, in an ode to the psychedelic music of the late 60s, early 70s, and rooted through a tube of amplifiers. the cover states "do not play this album loud, no headphones required!"
there are only 4 tracks on the album, which starts with dead poets sing the sunless land, clocking in at 20 minutes. after a few seconds it's clear that this album is all about ambient guitars in slow-moving patterns of sound. sorry, but i find it utterly boring. i have to say that i don't really understand what people get from listening to this, other than probably falling to sleep. i can see the music function perhaps as a soundtrack for some kind of installation or something, but to put it on a 74 minute cd seems unneccessary.
track 2 is the 22 minute long the heart disintegrates wearing disposable masks of angels. It seems like long tunes must also have long titles. this is of course not much different from the first one, although it's maybe a bit more "threatening" and scary-sounding. perhaps music for nightmares rather than for dreams. i wonder if they had any ideas before they started recording, or if it's all improvised. the 18-minute warping night air having brought the boom is of course more of the same. maybe other people can hear differences between these tracks, but i can't. the closing track ghosts stream the harmony of delight is "only" 13 minutes long by the way. and that's really all I can say about it.
minimal ambient music seems to have quite a few fans worldwide, and i respect that other people may actually like this, but for me this was 74 minutes of wasted time. the music on the flight of song really doesn't deserve more than one point, but i'll give them an extra for the nice picture of the chapel. 2/10.
source: planet origo
tf77, a review (9)
in full contradiction to the two frosty days when these recordings were made in february 2009, i listen to them while it is about thirty degrees and the sun is scorching the earth. while i am enjoying these hot summer days the slow languid chords of 3 seconds of air correspondent with my slow movements. the world around me moves in slow motion and rays of sun are blinding my eyes as they reflect on the pick ups of vintage gibson guitars slowly releasing their sultry tones in the trembling air.
3 seconds of air was an exploratory vessel for guitar-duo dirk serries and paul van den berg's forays into unknown territories. the early years were marked by a dialogue between their individual styles, van den berg contributing his blues influences and serries building on his experience in the field of ambient and drones as he was doing for years with vidnaObmana and his more successful fear falls burning. with the inclusion of bassist and wife of dirk martina verhoeven, their sound started to change, picking up further depth, resonance and direction. their pieces became more epic and complex, verhoeven's minimal bass opening up bridges to an ethereal take on doom, a slow-motion version of minimal music and the psychedelic experiments of the late 60s and early 70s.
the flight of song has been recorded in the snow covered belgian chapel of sint- theobaldus. the results of these sessions perpetuated on this disc are of ethereal beauty and serenity. desolate tones float on a weightless drift, shiny sparkling tones like faraway stars that dimly lit the farthest corners of the universe. the slow harmonic resonance of sound is carefully built into a breakable composition of majestic beauty. the slow evolving melody is breathing space like a vast bare plateau.
packed in a more than beautiful mini record sleeve in blue note style the flight of songs is a two-part release comprising a four-track cd and a vinyl-compendium. the lp (which is only available with the cd, and not separately) contains an additional composition and a reconstruction by steven wilson, both of which are not included on the cd. there is also a strictly limited special edition of 100 copies only available, containing the cd, a clear vinyl edition of the lp, and an exclusive 3 seconds of air [shirt], packed in a custom printed cotton shoulder bag. 8/10.
source: gothronic
3 seconds of air was an exploratory vessel for guitar-duo dirk serries and paul van den berg's forays into unknown territories. the early years were marked by a dialogue between their individual styles, van den berg contributing his blues influences and serries building on his experience in the field of ambient and drones as he was doing for years with vidnaObmana and his more successful fear falls burning. with the inclusion of bassist and wife of dirk martina verhoeven, their sound started to change, picking up further depth, resonance and direction. their pieces became more epic and complex, verhoeven's minimal bass opening up bridges to an ethereal take on doom, a slow-motion version of minimal music and the psychedelic experiments of the late 60s and early 70s.
the flight of song has been recorded in the snow covered belgian chapel of sint- theobaldus. the results of these sessions perpetuated on this disc are of ethereal beauty and serenity. desolate tones float on a weightless drift, shiny sparkling tones like faraway stars that dimly lit the farthest corners of the universe. the slow harmonic resonance of sound is carefully built into a breakable composition of majestic beauty. the slow evolving melody is breathing space like a vast bare plateau.
packed in a more than beautiful mini record sleeve in blue note style the flight of songs is a two-part release comprising a four-track cd and a vinyl-compendium. the lp (which is only available with the cd, and not separately) contains an additional composition and a reconstruction by steven wilson, both of which are not included on the cd. there is also a strictly limited special edition of 100 copies only available, containing the cd, a clear vinyl edition of the lp, and an exclusive 3 seconds of air [shirt], packed in a custom printed cotton shoulder bag. 8/10.
source: gothronic
tf77, a review (8)
fast 10 Jahre waren 3 seconds of air beschäftigt, bis sie es nun zu ihrem ersten output schaffen. anfangs war das namenlose projekt mehr eine experimentierplatform für dirk serries (fear falls burning, microphonics) und paul van den berg. letzterer war mit blues beschäftigt, während sich serries mehr im ambient und drone spielfeld umsah und experimentierte. als aber bassistin und serries frau martina verhoeven mit einstieg, begann sich alles zu verändern und an kontur zu gewinnen. das ergebnis liegt nun mit "the flight of song" vor. an zwei kalten tagen im februar diesen jahres nahmen die drei in einer kleinen und winterlich kalten kapelle in belgien dieses album auf. und so muten die 4 stücke dann auch an: winterlich, klar, sanft und bestimmt, wie nur der rauhreif auf büschen und bäumen im februar sein kann. aufgenommen ohne jeglichen schnickschnack, nur mit einem laptop, pro tools und kein weiteres nachbearbeiten mehr. episch, minimal, weit über die frostigen, durchfrorenen felder tragend, immer mit einem hang zum lichten, flüchtig-ätherischen, sind die kompositionen. der name und titel ist hier ganz programm. dann und wann schimmern und flimmern halluzinogene, psychedelische momente durch, sie sind das helle, unruhige flimmern über einer eisfläche. "the flight of song" wird mit zwei konzerten im juni, in eben dieser kapelle aufgeführt. die Aufmachung für tonefloat typisch: einfach, eindrucksvoll und extravagant in wahl des materials: dicke 50er jahre pappkarton verpackung, schlicht aber schön gestaltet. übrigens auch als lp mit extra Material erhältlich.
source: creative eclipse
source: creative eclipse
Friday, 3 July 2009
tf77, a review (7)
3 seconds of air release their debut album “the flight of song” on tonefloat records. hmmm, taste the associations to the words in this very formal sentence – “air”, “flight”, “tone” and “float” – let them melt in your mind for a bit and you’ll get a good picture of what this album is about. gently flowing and ebbing tones from guitars, manipulated to whirring and flirring soundscapes with counterpoints of warm bass pulses. yet “the flight of a song” is neither ambient nor drone, because it is too fragile and soft for the first and too versatile in all its static for the latter. it is more a meditation on the absence of a structural framework and on the organic way parts can structure themselves if given the liberty. ethereal, ephemeral, trancelike and soft. yet it also is ambient and drone in a fusion of what is good, nice and welcoming in both watered down genres.
dirk serries (vidnaObmana; fear falls burning), paul van den berg and martina verhoeven peruse three vintage guitars (one of them a bass), three sets of amplifiers and pedals, to levitate to a higher form of communication. serries and van den berg had been exchanging notes for a decade before the trio hid away in a chapel in belgium in the winter for two days to record these four tracks with some basic recording equipment, one mic and without re-recordings or overdubs – a story too good not to be told. you can still hear some crackles and noises that went on tape not on purpose. but if the pristine beauty of these recordings is anything to go by, then it must have been a fucking awesome place of impressive silence. the shortest of these four tracks is close to a quarter of an hour (the longest somewhere above twenty minutes) which tells me that wherever they did the recordings time plays a completely different role than around here in the big city lights. the call of the rural ease of country life is hidden in there, where live is not counted by days, hours or minutes but by seasons.
the tonality – and actually these four tracks are all about tonality and not a lot else if you stick to the basic musical impression – changes over time, becomes a little more eerie and forbeboding of dark times ahead in the third quarter. The first two pieces, “dead poets sing the sunless land” and “the heart disintegrates wearing disposable masks of angels” are warmer, more organic and shining with beauty. the third, “warping night air having brought the boom”, glimmers with the anticipation of upcoming evil, or rather the dawn of that. nothing is fixed, bound or guaranteed and expected. notes and sounds evolve like the sea on a moonless night, without interruption. on a meta-level this album is probably about communcating on a higher and more abstract level, showing the beauty dripped into sound that understanding, harmony and ease may produce if they aren’t stifled by the formulaic mind of a beaurocrat.
on the other hand, there is a definite connection to modern classical or serious music. both terms are bad, but if they mean music whose composition follows other rules, more multi-levelled and intellectual ones, than the stuff you can hear on mainstream radio, then we may apply them here. it is not only the cover which is leaned towards late fifties / early sixties blue note record label jazz covers, though it is looking great, but also the constant focus on sound and the interweaving of three droning minds. “the flight of song” is more a work of modern conceptual music than the fringe rock / drone noise genre it most definitely has its roots in. in its beauty i would compare it to brahms, for the directly beautiful modes and the warmth of the work.
source: monochrom/cracked
dirk serries (vidnaObmana; fear falls burning), paul van den berg and martina verhoeven peruse three vintage guitars (one of them a bass), three sets of amplifiers and pedals, to levitate to a higher form of communication. serries and van den berg had been exchanging notes for a decade before the trio hid away in a chapel in belgium in the winter for two days to record these four tracks with some basic recording equipment, one mic and without re-recordings or overdubs – a story too good not to be told. you can still hear some crackles and noises that went on tape not on purpose. but if the pristine beauty of these recordings is anything to go by, then it must have been a fucking awesome place of impressive silence. the shortest of these four tracks is close to a quarter of an hour (the longest somewhere above twenty minutes) which tells me that wherever they did the recordings time plays a completely different role than around here in the big city lights. the call of the rural ease of country life is hidden in there, where live is not counted by days, hours or minutes but by seasons.
the tonality – and actually these four tracks are all about tonality and not a lot else if you stick to the basic musical impression – changes over time, becomes a little more eerie and forbeboding of dark times ahead in the third quarter. The first two pieces, “dead poets sing the sunless land” and “the heart disintegrates wearing disposable masks of angels” are warmer, more organic and shining with beauty. the third, “warping night air having brought the boom”, glimmers with the anticipation of upcoming evil, or rather the dawn of that. nothing is fixed, bound or guaranteed and expected. notes and sounds evolve like the sea on a moonless night, without interruption. on a meta-level this album is probably about communcating on a higher and more abstract level, showing the beauty dripped into sound that understanding, harmony and ease may produce if they aren’t stifled by the formulaic mind of a beaurocrat.
on the other hand, there is a definite connection to modern classical or serious music. both terms are bad, but if they mean music whose composition follows other rules, more multi-levelled and intellectual ones, than the stuff you can hear on mainstream radio, then we may apply them here. it is not only the cover which is leaned towards late fifties / early sixties blue note record label jazz covers, though it is looking great, but also the constant focus on sound and the interweaving of three droning minds. “the flight of song” is more a work of modern conceptual music than the fringe rock / drone noise genre it most definitely has its roots in. in its beauty i would compare it to brahms, for the directly beautiful modes and the warmth of the work.
source: monochrom/cracked
Thursday, 2 July 2009
tf77, a review (6)
fear falls burning instrumentalist dirk serries heeft bijna tien jaar gewerkt aan een naamloos project, samen met bluesgitarist paul van den berg en geholpen door gastmuzikant en bassiste martina verhoeven. hun talenten bosten en versmolten in het met sneeuw bedekte st. theobaldus kerkje of kapel. dit heilig huisje diende als, zo bleek, ijzige locatie voor hun samenwerking. de stoof (of kachel op zijn nederlands) draaide zo hard dat die de opnames vergalde, dus die moest dan ook uit tijdens de opnames van deze vierenzeventig minuten durende collaboratie. Hete koffie was de enig mogelijke verwarming.
die minimalistische sfeer hebben beide heren in de vier nummers goed te pakken: doom en blues geïnspireerd, zowel qua geluid als beeldvorming erg jaren zestig. het viertal werd ter plekke in twee uurtjes opgenomen met slechts een enkele stereo microfoon die ingeplugd zat in een laptop.. ‘the flight of song’ is het eerste imposant deel van een tweeluik waarvan dit cd'tje de hoofdmoot is. er is een vinyl compendium, gelimiteerd op vijfhonderd stuks, die een herschreven en extra compositie bevat van steve wilson van porcupine tree. beide stukken van steve zijn niet verkrijgbaar op cd. de release werd overigens gevierd met een concert in dit kerkje.
source: lords of metal
die minimalistische sfeer hebben beide heren in de vier nummers goed te pakken: doom en blues geïnspireerd, zowel qua geluid als beeldvorming erg jaren zestig. het viertal werd ter plekke in twee uurtjes opgenomen met slechts een enkele stereo microfoon die ingeplugd zat in een laptop.. ‘the flight of song’ is het eerste imposant deel van een tweeluik waarvan dit cd'tje de hoofdmoot is. er is een vinyl compendium, gelimiteerd op vijfhonderd stuks, die een herschreven en extra compositie bevat van steve wilson van porcupine tree. beide stukken van steve zijn niet verkrijgbaar op cd. de release werd overigens gevierd met een concert in dit kerkje.
source: lords of metal
Monday, 29 June 2009
tf71
following a series of vinyl editions of the previously released bass communion albums ghost on magnetic tape, bass communion ii and haze shrapnel, tonefloat presents its first release containing new (solo) recordings by steven wilson's ongoing experiments with drones and ambient music, and sounds in general. litany is taken from new bass communion recordings using choral/vocal samples and looping techniques. these experiments may lead to a full album at some stage, but in the meantime about 23 minutes of work in progress will be out late july as a 2-track 12inch ep.
the ep comes in a stylish bass communion cardboard type sleeve designed by carl glover and will be available in limited editions of 1000 copies on black 180 grams vinyl and 250 copies on coloured 180 grams vinyl.
litany can be pre-ordered from the tonefloat store. the release date is late july.
the ep comes in a stylish bass communion cardboard type sleeve designed by carl glover and will be available in limited editions of 1000 copies on black 180 grams vinyl and 250 copies on coloured 180 grams vinyl.
litany can be pre-ordered from the tonefloat store. the release date is late july.
tf41, a review (6)
maarten van der vleuten has had been a producer and dj of electronic and dance music for many years, and under various names, altogether making for an impressive cv spanning over twenty years of activity. he now records exclusively under his own name, and this lp on tonefloat is one of his latest works, full of inspiring and evocative droning ambient.
tons of records in the area of drone and dark ambient get produced each year, and i often find it difficult to pick out the ones which are truly interesting. high tolerance towards low energies is pleasant exception though, one of those records that shows a true master's touch already on the first listen, but which continues to amaze me after many more sessions. the music on this album is very layeres, using a plethora of different sounds - melodies, drones, percussion, samples - at all times, but everything is woven together so deftly that it never becomes overcrowded. instead, it ensures that the album stays interesting and keeps a continuous flow.
the album has a spiritual atmosphere, utilising photography from the regina coeli ('queen of heaven') church in vught, also accented by vocal samples which lend a multi-ethnic religious timbre to many of the parts. all this makes explicit what is one of the true strengths of ambient music: the creation of mystical and spiritual sounds through unorthodox musical means.
in this respect, this album is practically perfect. it seems almost too mundane to mention at this point, but the gatefold cover and heavy vinyl make the presentation of this release equally appealing. in short, there's no excuse for not owning this record if you love obscure and mystical drone and ambient music. except maybe if you read this too late, and all the 500 copies are sold out, but that's luckily not the case at the time of writing.
source: evening of light
tons of records in the area of drone and dark ambient get produced each year, and i often find it difficult to pick out the ones which are truly interesting. high tolerance towards low energies is pleasant exception though, one of those records that shows a true master's touch already on the first listen, but which continues to amaze me after many more sessions. the music on this album is very layeres, using a plethora of different sounds - melodies, drones, percussion, samples - at all times, but everything is woven together so deftly that it never becomes overcrowded. instead, it ensures that the album stays interesting and keeps a continuous flow.
the album has a spiritual atmosphere, utilising photography from the regina coeli ('queen of heaven') church in vught, also accented by vocal samples which lend a multi-ethnic religious timbre to many of the parts. all this makes explicit what is one of the true strengths of ambient music: the creation of mystical and spiritual sounds through unorthodox musical means.
in this respect, this album is practically perfect. it seems almost too mundane to mention at this point, but the gatefold cover and heavy vinyl make the presentation of this release equally appealing. in short, there's no excuse for not owning this record if you love obscure and mystical drone and ambient music. except maybe if you read this too late, and all the 500 copies are sold out, but that's luckily not the case at the time of writing.
source: evening of light
tf80, a review (2)
A natural complement to the trio's [3 seconds of air] recording is serries' sixth microphonics outing, which came about in rather impromptu manner courtesy of a last-minute invitation to perform at the whatbar #4 blog event in the hague. captured straight to tape, the twenty-two-minute improv (a one-sided vinyl release available in beautiful gold, silver, and white pressings) casts a potent spell as serries' quivering guitar lines and broad undulating waves thread multi-layered paths through a black-as-coal, starlit nightscape. it's quintessential serries captured in a single, economical piece.
source: textura
source: textura
tf77, a review (5)
a glance at the info accompanying 3 seconds of air's debut recording might lead one to think it will be a blistering, distortion-drenched rave-up. having started out as an exploratory vehicle for guitarists dirk serries and paul van den berg, the group expanded into a trio with the addition of bassist martina verhoeven. but anyone expecting her to function as an anchor for stratospheric gunslinging by the guitarists should note the “do not play this album loud, no headphones required!” instruction that appears on the album's back cover. translation: the four long-form settings stretching across the seventy-five-minute recording (available in cd, black vinyl, and clear vinyl formats) are slow-moving, haunted masses of subtle and low-level design that are anything but barnburners. recorded over two frosty days in february 2009 at the belgian chapel of saint theobaldus, the music breathes with the sound of three musical midwives interacting, pacing themselves, layering materials, and collectively giving birth to incrementally-unfolding improvisations of spectral character. “dead poets sing the sunless land” drifts across the endless terrain, setting the stage for the slightly more intense ruminations and shuddering swells of “the heart disintegrates wearing disposable masks of angels.” “warping night air having brought the boom” plunges headlong into the blackest of nights, coaxing dulcimer-like flickers into the light and blanketing the crepuscular mass with gloom. the guitarists fill the ample spaces between the bass tones with slow-burning electrical shadings and plucks, after which “ghosts stream the harmony of delight” arrives like the peaceful morn that follows the harrowing night. van den berg and serries bring respective blues and ambient-drones influences to the recording, while verhoeven unobtrusively anchors the ethereal flow in tracks that were laid down using nothing more than a laptop, pro-tools, and a single stereo microphone (no overdubs or editing either).
source: textura
source: textura
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