An ambassadorial odyssey
Steve Benner | Lancaster, UK | 09/06/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dating from 1995, "A Storm of Drones" is the final episode of the Drones Trilogy, compiled by Naut Humon for the Sombient division of Asphodel Records. In fact, this particular release is itself a trilogy, providing within a single (Opak) box three well-packed (if not terribly well-packaged) CDs, each offering a slightly different take on music that is without any discernible tune, rhythm or beat and totalling in all some 220 minutes of intense musical listening - which, I hope, explains the title. The three-CD format of "A Storm of Drones" permits a somewhat broader - and deeper - exploration of 'music of the drone' than that undertaken in either of this volume's precursors. This is noticeable from the outset, with the first CD in the set - bearing the subtitle of "Audio" - consisting of some eleven extracts of works previously released in the electroacoustic and acousmatic catalogue of the Canadian recording company DIFFUSION i MéDIA (better known nowadays as electrocd.com, a company that has subsequently released the full versions of some of the works featured on the second CD in this set, by the way.)The length of the excerpts presented here varies greatly: from a couple of two-minute movements lifted from Francis Dhomont's "...mourir un peu" to major (i.e. 13+ minutes) chunks of works such as Robert Normandeau's "Tangram" and Stéphane Roy's "Crystal Music". The extract from the latter, in fact, consists of almost the entire 14 minutes of the original, although inexplicably missing the opening five seconds-worth and with the final two minutes presented in a different form. ("Tangram" is also presented in a different mix from that appearing on Normandeau's own discs - the version that appears here is more compact in places and would seem to be part of an earlier edition of the work.) All of the materials included on this disc, though, have been chosen for their slowly unfolding form, as well as for their reliance on textural development as opposed to gestural articulation. They thus provide a concentration of essentially drone-based material which all sits well together while, of course, also fitting into the theme of the series. So consistent is this material, though, that it is hard to believe that it was not written to fit together this way, with each composer's extract segueing seamlessly into the next - and all without a single dull moment, too. And that's just the first disc of this set! The second, subtitled "Environmental", consists of similarly slow moving, drone-based sound-works, this time nearly all derived from environmental recordings of one kind or another. These range from the luscious thunderstorm materials of Michael Stearns' "Reky into Dark Territory", to the use of wide reverberant spaces as the setting for the recording of improvised trombone playing, as featured in Stuart Dempster's Deep Listening work, "Morning Light" (taken from the New Albion Records release, "Underground Overlays from the Cistern Chapel") and taking in, along the way, Alan Lamb's use of what must count as the world's largest aeolian harp in "Primal Image" (from his "Archival Recordings" album, featuring unprocessed contact microphone recordings of the natural vibrations in telephone cables stretching across the Australian outback). Much (though not all) of the material on this disc is more tonally centred - or at least note or pitch-based - than is the general case on Disc 1, but the material remains every bit as atmospheric and sonically fascinating. The trend towards a greater pitch-centring of the content continues on the third disc in the set, "Immersion". Here, in a return to music from the artists who provided the mainstay of material on the preceding volumes in this series - such as Steve Roach, Robert Rich, Maryanne Amacher, Gregory Lenczycki - the listener is truly immersed in a veritable 'storm of drones' of almost stunning intensity. As track blends into track, this disc proves itself an impressive culmination to this massive celebration of... well, call it what you will: electroacoustic; acousmatic; industrial techno or dark ambient music of the drone. Whatever. For if there is one thing that this release does teach, it is that labels for music are unimportant; what matters are the feelings behind it. And all of the works here demonstrate an intensity of feeling that is really quite awe inspiring.Regularly readers of my reviews will know that I normally have little time or patience for compilation albums, especially those featuring bleeding chunks torn from other releases. For once, though, I am more than happy to set aside my prejudices and recommend this collection wholeheartedly. These three CDs do a great job of bringing such beautiful music together in a way that not only makes perfect musical sense, but which also does much to provide a setting that may itself foster further exploration by several disparate audiences into alien musical territories - a truly worthy cause indeed. Although currently out of print at Asphodel, I do urge would-be buyers to spare no effort hunting for copies of this release while it remains reasonably easy to find. It is a great set of discs - one that should not be missed."
Insanely Intense -- Benchmark Your Speakers!
David E. Weekly | Cupertino, CA USA | 10/26/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow! This set is INCREDIBLY cool. The first CD in particular will do things to your speakers and your head that you did not think possible. If you want to benchmark your speakers or a compression codec, I'd highly recommend this CD. If you want to undergo a surreal voyage into sound, I'd also highly recommend this CD. If you only want shiny plastic disks that play Beck or Beethoven, don't get this disk. IT IS WEIRD, but only in the very best sort of way. =)"
Be transported to another time and place
David E. Weekly | 08/24/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This compilation manages to transport the listener to another world through the use of a variety of sound sculptures, atmospherics, and lush synthesizers. The ambience induces relaxation through the creation of organic soundworlds. A must have for any fan of ambient minimalism or anyone else who just wants to relax, ahhhh."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1