ondanks dat, of misschien juist wel omdat hij in het hectische londen woont, produceert sand snowman mysterieus rustige muziek. zijn eerste drie albums, die aanvankelijk in streng gelimiteerde edities uitgebracht werden, vormen tezamen een trilogie waarvan tonefloat eerder i’m not here en the twilight game op vinyl uitbracht.
nu is er dan ook het derde deel. geheel in de lijn van de psychedelische traditie tracht sand met de negen composities subtiele verschuivingen in perceptie te bewerkstelligen. de arrangementen van dit derde deel hebben een nog sterker minimalistisch karakter dan de beide voorgaande delen.
de luisteraar wordt meegetrokken in een mengsel van klanken opgeroepen door akoestische instrumenten als gitaar, piano en cello, gecombineerd met vocale harmonieën en subtiel gedoseerde elektronica. het ene moment meen ik ieder moment syd barrett te zullen horen terwijl ik op het volgende moment kamermuziek meen te herkennen of meedrijf op een jazzy klanklijn. bij een eerste beluistering lijken alle stukken afzonderlijk van elkaar te bestaan. pas na meerdere luistersessies ontstaat er een coherentie en een besef van opbouw van het werk. waarbij de bedachtzame en droefgeestige leegte van het begin geleidelijk overgaat naar het experimentele einde. een fascinerende lp.
source: hifi.nl
tf072, a review (7)
the new album and the second part in the white nights series from the use of ashes again shows a very imaginative dreamy sound where breakable psychedelic pop and ambient postrock spheres merge. the influence of british psychedelic folk is unmistakable but also this new album carries the creative character of the experimental sound techniques. the songs itself have an intuitive feel with emphasis on the acoustic guitar and the voice of peter van vliet. the atmospheric backdrop of sound is coloured by the use of an organ, sitar, mellotron, tabla and various analogue synthesizers. this album is less dark in tone than the previous white nights work which carried the subtitle the hand of tzafkiel. it seems that the use of ashes is in a productive period and makes good use of its possibilities as white nights: glowing lights is a great atmospheric work that lets itself be enjoyed at various different moments on a day. for those who like early pink floyd, king crimson, spirogyra, late beatles and psychedelic folk groups such as six organs of admittance and in gowan ring.
source: gothtronic
source: gothtronic
tf072, a review (6)
from nijmegen in the netherlands hails the use of ashes, a band consisting of the brothers peter and simon van vliet, and maarten scherrenburg. the first two were active in the early 80’s in the avantgarde wave band mekanik kommando. their style has changed over the years though, and this latest album (second in the white nights series) is firmly in the realm of psychedelic folk.
for me, this album is somewhat of a mixed bag. the overall sound is rich and wonderful; a blend of folk with experimental and dronish parts, and above all a great ear for detail and sophisticated sound design. it reminds me perhaps perhaps most of twelve thousand days in terms of style, though the use of ashes lacks the appeal of a unique and excellent vocalist like martyn bates. [this] is at least in part compensated for by the lavishness of the sound.
the main turn-off for me, however, is that a number of tracks on white nights: glowing nights (such as the opener and “stranger in paradise”) wax somewhat too sugary-sweet, expressed in the lyrics, vocals, and general atmosphere. it’s something of an acquired taste, perhaps, and part of artistic expression. it might not bother other people, but it doesn’t do much for me personally. what is clear to me, however, is that the band’s main strength lies in composition and sound design, rather than text or vocals. this can be heard in some of the highlight tracks like the excellent misty neofolk of “falling from the sky” or the folky drones of “9 glowing lights”.
alltogether, white nights: glowing lights is a pleasant album that fits neatly into the psych side of the tonefloat roster, with artists like porcupine tree and sand snowman. the spectre of pink floyd is ever present. if you’re open to a well-succeeded dutch psych folk album with a bright and sweet atmosphere, this is well worth your attention. personally, i can’t help but feel that it is a bit less interesting and original than the stuff that went on in the mekanik kommando days.
source: evening of light
for me, this album is somewhat of a mixed bag. the overall sound is rich and wonderful; a blend of folk with experimental and dronish parts, and above all a great ear for detail and sophisticated sound design. it reminds me perhaps perhaps most of twelve thousand days in terms of style, though the use of ashes lacks the appeal of a unique and excellent vocalist like martyn bates. [this] is at least in part compensated for by the lavishness of the sound.
the main turn-off for me, however, is that a number of tracks on white nights: glowing nights (such as the opener and “stranger in paradise”) wax somewhat too sugary-sweet, expressed in the lyrics, vocals, and general atmosphere. it’s something of an acquired taste, perhaps, and part of artistic expression. it might not bother other people, but it doesn’t do much for me personally. what is clear to me, however, is that the band’s main strength lies in composition and sound design, rather than text or vocals. this can be heard in some of the highlight tracks like the excellent misty neofolk of “falling from the sky” or the folky drones of “9 glowing lights”.
alltogether, white nights: glowing lights is a pleasant album that fits neatly into the psych side of the tonefloat roster, with artists like porcupine tree and sand snowman. the spectre of pink floyd is ever present. if you’re open to a well-succeeded dutch psych folk album with a bright and sweet atmosphere, this is well worth your attention. personally, i can’t help but feel that it is a bit less interesting and original than the stuff that went on in the mekanik kommando days.
source: evening of light
tf072, a review (5)
eigenlijk hoort deze review niet echt thuis op zware metalen. de kalme voortkabbelende psychedelische folk staat mijlen ver van het gros der releases dat hier besproken wordt, maar toch vermoed ik dat veel lezers deze release best interessant zullen vinden.
dit nederlandse trio is inmiddels al weer toe aan zijn zevende release en weet mij met deze plaat behoorlijk te boeien. de achttien korte tracks zijn op een erg sferische en ontspannende wijze aan elkaar geknoopt tot eigenlijk één lange droom in stereo waarbij de beelden als vanzelf in je hoofd beginnen te vormen. de 'onthaastmuziek' wordt gebracht door akoestische gitaren, orgels, sitars, tablas en analoge synthesizers. hier overheen ligt als een warme deken de zang van peter van vliet. deze doet me behoorlijk denken aan oude simon & garfunkel (wellicht dat liefhebbers van het debuut van leafblade dit ook wel erg kunnen waarderen), beetje jammer vind ik dat zijn zang herhaaldelijk bewerkt wordt door de synthesizers. de erg elektrisch klinkende zang past dan niet lekker bij de organisch aanvoelende muziek.
bij het draaien van dit album moet ik wel nog steeds wennen aan de opener morgenstern, dit nummer is mij dan weer iets te zoetspappig en zet de luisteraar op het verkeerde been. de zoetsappigheid komt gedurende het album nog wel redelijk vaak terug maar dan op een net wat lager niveau. het mooie en tegelijkertijd vreemde is wel dat deze zoetsappigheid wel gepaard gaat met een winterse duisterheid en een aardig niveau aan zwartgalligheid.
op één of andere manier doet the use of ashes me ook wat denken aan de meer psychedelischere nummers van sigur rós . ben je een liefhebber van de muziek die in die richting gaat, ben je niet wars van wat zoetsappigheid, neem dan even de tijd om deze band eens goed te beluisteren!
source: zware metalen
dit nederlandse trio is inmiddels al weer toe aan zijn zevende release en weet mij met deze plaat behoorlijk te boeien. de achttien korte tracks zijn op een erg sferische en ontspannende wijze aan elkaar geknoopt tot eigenlijk één lange droom in stereo waarbij de beelden als vanzelf in je hoofd beginnen te vormen. de 'onthaastmuziek' wordt gebracht door akoestische gitaren, orgels, sitars, tablas en analoge synthesizers. hier overheen ligt als een warme deken de zang van peter van vliet. deze doet me behoorlijk denken aan oude simon & garfunkel (wellicht dat liefhebbers van het debuut van leafblade dit ook wel erg kunnen waarderen), beetje jammer vind ik dat zijn zang herhaaldelijk bewerkt wordt door de synthesizers. de erg elektrisch klinkende zang past dan niet lekker bij de organisch aanvoelende muziek.
bij het draaien van dit album moet ik wel nog steeds wennen aan de opener morgenstern, dit nummer is mij dan weer iets te zoetspappig en zet de luisteraar op het verkeerde been. de zoetsappigheid komt gedurende het album nog wel redelijk vaak terug maar dan op een net wat lager niveau. het mooie en tegelijkertijd vreemde is wel dat deze zoetsappigheid wel gepaard gaat met een winterse duisterheid en een aardig niveau aan zwartgalligheid.
op één of andere manier doet the use of ashes me ook wat denken aan de meer psychedelischere nummers van sigur rós . ben je een liefhebber van de muziek die in die richting gaat, ben je niet wars van wat zoetsappigheid, neem dan even de tijd om deze band eens goed te beluisteren!
source: zware metalen
tf077, a review (20)
released in june 2009, this debut album by 3 seconds of air is a new addition to the roster of tonefloat records. on second thought, new… who other than dirk serries (vidnaObmana, fear falls burning) would be one of the members of this trio? together with bassist martina verhoeven and guitarist paul van den berg, he’s embarked on a new musical journey. the flight of song was recorded live last february in a frozen-over flemish chapel, using two gibson les pauls and a fender jazz bass, some effects, amps, a mic, and a laptop. sounds like a recipe for some heavy guitar drones, but that’s not quite the case.
no, the flight of song is more like the exact opposite: light and flighty sounds in long, drifting compositions. in fact, the band name is perfectly chosen, provided you extend the time period a bit. from start to finish, these three musicians pick you up into a soaring, bright atmosphere, and they don’t put you down until the last notes fade after over an hour. most of the floating power, so to speak, is provided by gentle guitar waves, with the bass picking out a note here and there. very slow, very minimal, like a much lighter counterpart to bohren & der club of gore.
i get the feeling that when the band came to recording the final result, they had grown perfectly attuned to their surroundings and each other’s music; they never get in each other’s way, the sound is delicate and well-designed, and in a way, we’re listening to a record meditation session expressed not in words or song, but in soft drones and waves. the one problem that i have with this though, is the following. this might be one of those cases where the result, however charming, is infinitely less important to the listener than to the maker. for me, the atmosphere and flow of the album is perfect, but in essence, it never transcends the level of excellent background music, because the experience of being part of this meditation is absent. i imagine this must have been different for those who had the chance to attend of the band’s performances this summer. in the end, though, this is purely subjective, and i encourage others to judge for themselves if they can find something tucked away in these musical cloudscapes.
source: evening of light
no, the flight of song is more like the exact opposite: light and flighty sounds in long, drifting compositions. in fact, the band name is perfectly chosen, provided you extend the time period a bit. from start to finish, these three musicians pick you up into a soaring, bright atmosphere, and they don’t put you down until the last notes fade after over an hour. most of the floating power, so to speak, is provided by gentle guitar waves, with the bass picking out a note here and there. very slow, very minimal, like a much lighter counterpart to bohren & der club of gore.
i get the feeling that when the band came to recording the final result, they had grown perfectly attuned to their surroundings and each other’s music; they never get in each other’s way, the sound is delicate and well-designed, and in a way, we’re listening to a record meditation session expressed not in words or song, but in soft drones and waves. the one problem that i have with this though, is the following. this might be one of those cases where the result, however charming, is infinitely less important to the listener than to the maker. for me, the atmosphere and flow of the album is perfect, but in essence, it never transcends the level of excellent background music, because the experience of being part of this meditation is absent. i imagine this must have been different for those who had the chance to attend of the band’s performances this summer. in the end, though, this is purely subjective, and i encourage others to judge for themselves if they can find something tucked away in these musical cloudscapes.
source: evening of light
tf072, a review (4)
strange designs of popmusic have become inflationary in the wake of the animal collective’s first two albums. so much that they have spawned a whole new label of a subgenre ranging from devendra banhart to the akorn family and from comets of fire to six organs of admittance (to name some of the better ones). a lot of those use their strange noodlings and mixing escapades as an excuse for lack of vision, lack of structure and lack of technical ability. the more awesome it is if amidst the sea of mediocre and unlistenable hippie shit there comes up a real diamond of impromptu songsmith handicraft. one that flows like water and shines like the sun reflecting on the sea, radiating ease and wisdom.
the trio use of ashes on the one hand peruses a lot of uncommon instruments like sitar, tabla and even a bouzouki. on the other one third of the band is only responsible for what they call “sound and spheres”. An introspective reader might already guess where “white nights glowing lights” is headed: a mix of folklore world music with trance aspects. somewhere between psychedlic drones and luminous melodies. and there is also a certain kind of shamanic atmosphere coming from some of the more looped instrumental parts, whereas in other places vintage analogue synthesizers add colours.
the vocal melodies and also some of the lyrics very interestingly remind me of the late work of david gilmour. for instance the song “sark white planet” that starts with the words “you and me waiting / on this dark white planet / we stayed awake too long / me and you / on this white dark planet”. the first part of that song seems to me like a psylocibine gobbling band of heathens from beyond the mountains forming a pink floyd revival band after a night of trips. and therefore use of ashes never use volume or loudness as a means of aesthetics in their songs; their songs would probably work without amplification as well. quite contrarily, what fascinated me during the first few listens was the intrinsic interplay between these old string instruments and a drumkit that seems to consist mostly of big toms and the way the form a song so gently but with persistence.
definitely, this album breathes a lof of nostalgia for (imagined) old times, centuries ago, when living was more simple. “it’s a crystal ride / picking daisies / on a lazy daisy day” (lazy daisy day) At times fantasy garnishments enter this realm, like a prince with golden hair, a dragon ro silent mountain. as it turns out: “white nights: glowing lights” is part of an album cycle that begann with “white nights: the hand of tzafkiel”. well, if you follow these songs over the course of some albums then a mighty story line will evolve. but with only this one to get into it is like opening “lord of the rings” arbitrarily at some page and then reading 120 pages and then closing the book again and calling that a story. it won’t work.
so I’ll suffice it to judge these eighteen tracks – some short instrumentals, some melodic songs, some atmospheric epics – on what they are on this album alone. and they are one third warm sunshine, one third mindtripping and one third hands down to earth. the promise of another chapter of “white nights” is at hand, and i for one am excited to hear how this is going to go on.
source: monochrom
the trio use of ashes on the one hand peruses a lot of uncommon instruments like sitar, tabla and even a bouzouki. on the other one third of the band is only responsible for what they call “sound and spheres”. An introspective reader might already guess where “white nights glowing lights” is headed: a mix of folklore world music with trance aspects. somewhere between psychedlic drones and luminous melodies. and there is also a certain kind of shamanic atmosphere coming from some of the more looped instrumental parts, whereas in other places vintage analogue synthesizers add colours.
the vocal melodies and also some of the lyrics very interestingly remind me of the late work of david gilmour. for instance the song “sark white planet” that starts with the words “you and me waiting / on this dark white planet / we stayed awake too long / me and you / on this white dark planet”. the first part of that song seems to me like a psylocibine gobbling band of heathens from beyond the mountains forming a pink floyd revival band after a night of trips. and therefore use of ashes never use volume or loudness as a means of aesthetics in their songs; their songs would probably work without amplification as well. quite contrarily, what fascinated me during the first few listens was the intrinsic interplay between these old string instruments and a drumkit that seems to consist mostly of big toms and the way the form a song so gently but with persistence.
definitely, this album breathes a lof of nostalgia for (imagined) old times, centuries ago, when living was more simple. “it’s a crystal ride / picking daisies / on a lazy daisy day” (lazy daisy day) At times fantasy garnishments enter this realm, like a prince with golden hair, a dragon ro silent mountain. as it turns out: “white nights: glowing lights” is part of an album cycle that begann with “white nights: the hand of tzafkiel”. well, if you follow these songs over the course of some albums then a mighty story line will evolve. but with only this one to get into it is like opening “lord of the rings” arbitrarily at some page and then reading 120 pages and then closing the book again and calling that a story. it won’t work.
so I’ll suffice it to judge these eighteen tracks – some short instrumentals, some melodic songs, some atmospheric epics – on what they are on this album alone. and they are one third warm sunshine, one third mindtripping and one third hands down to earth. the promise of another chapter of “white nights” is at hand, and i for one am excited to hear how this is going to go on.
source: monochrom
tf085, a review (1)
sequel-vö; microphonics ein weiteres mal live, nach der vi in der nest gallery, hier jetzt als teilnehmer des 2009er live-looping festivals in antwerpen.
wieder 300er auflage, wieder gesplittet in drei farben (weiss, silber, gold), wieder einseitig bespielt und alle infos (außer der musik) ausschließlich rund um das label auf der bespielten seite; in der stimmung aber entspannter, harmonischer als auf dem vorgänger , verbinden sich die fäden zu einem rollenden akkordgespinst, inder atmosphäre nicht unähnlich zu 3 second of air, once again, um sich gegen ende ganz vorsichtig wieder (auf)zu lösen.
perfekt, nicht zuletzt durch die immer wieder das fundament festigenden bassrollen... + die schöne e-bow-melodie im ausklang. he, und wahrscheinlich ist der meister schon gegangen, bevor der looper fertig war...
source: unruhr
wieder 300er auflage, wieder gesplittet in drei farben (weiss, silber, gold), wieder einseitig bespielt und alle infos (außer der musik) ausschließlich rund um das label auf der bespielten seite; in der stimmung aber entspannter, harmonischer als auf dem vorgänger , verbinden sich die fäden zu einem rollenden akkordgespinst, inder atmosphäre nicht unähnlich zu 3 second of air, once again, um sich gegen ende ganz vorsichtig wieder (auf)zu lösen.
perfekt, nicht zuletzt durch die immer wieder das fundament festigenden bassrollen... + die schöne e-bow-melodie im ausklang. he, und wahrscheinlich ist der meister schon gegangen, bevor der looper fertig war...
source: unruhr
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