gamoneterik

I love and have great interest in art and I live for and am constantly surprised by the concept of Magick, so I was naturally drawn to this latest release by Ralph Buckley. The album's evocative title immediately forms connections with listeners who haven't even downloaded it yet.

With such a powerful title I expected something completely different to what I found my ears wrapped around, yet therein lies one of the secrets of magick: that paths open up before you that you never knew were there, and lead you to amazing places.

From the very first conga tap of the opening track a vibe is set, of luscious valleys of soft vocals, strong undercurrents of molten guitar lines, and gorgeously shaped bass clouds, all set to the grandfather clock tick of the simple yet outstanding percussion. One only needs to close their eyes and drift on the vibe and this album performs its Magick.

Journeying into frantic hunts through the forest side-by-side with howling wolves, taking hot air balloon rides over velvet seas of emotions, caressing the heavens at points and burrowing into the depths of hell at others, this amazing release that talks of The End, of The Tree of Life and of Awakening will strike a chord deep within that few musicians can evoke, but that Ralph Buckley manages to pull off with both outstanding finesse and a deep respect for and understanding of the nature of the Universe.

Transcendental. Download it now.

I was immediately attracted by the title. When I hit play I got something I didn't expect. I think the "comedy" tag threw me. What I got was some damn fine rockin distorted bassy guitar, great beats and just a damn fun listen. I thought it would be a piss-take on music in general but it's not, it's actually just solid good music. The hip-hop elements are the only downside. My favourite track is "I Cum Techno", the squelchy guitars definitely sound like the vinegar stroke, and the boom-boom is the sexual rhythm.

Keep it up.

Two rather different, yet equally impressive tracks.

The first one, Daris, captures the beauty and versatility of the human voice, perfectly complemented by the warping bass sounds. By not using words, you are lulled into thinking about the tonality and shape of the voice, and although it gets a bit repetitive at times, it never gets boring. There is also a tribal feel about this track, not only because of the nature of the voices, but because you can feel the collaborative force behind it. Really good stuff.

The second track, Solif, at a bit over 9 minutes, is a bit too long for me for a track that is merely bleeps, wiggles, wobbles and pads with the occasional vocal sample. It is beautifully put together and well produced, but it just doesn't go anywhere. It would be nice to fall asleep to but not engaging enough to listen to without, say, a substance to help you on the journey. Nevertheless it manages to take you away, as the title of this review suggests, to a beautiful "alien landscape", very surreal and inviting in the way a pool of purple water is (you wanna jump in because it's so gorgeous but you're not quite sure what is). In the end it simply lacks umph, but that's a subjective point of view. Lots of people will love Solif if they love ambient stuff.

Overall, this a single with a b-side, it would be great to hear more of the collaborative voice stuff spanned out into a complete album. But as a short collection of two tracks it works rather well. 7/10.

Like long rusty talons dripping with blood, this sinister album grips your mind in a death vice and never let's go. Glitchy beats and clicks, remeniscent of an ancient tower clock possessed by a demon, and more organic yet twisted, wavering pads and synth swirls, combine together with linear structures to evoke the feeling of a subway descending to Hell. The final feel, sound and texture of the album is that of a beautiful graveyard at night, reaking of Death, Decay and Evil, yet almost tranquil as if it's the silence before the storm (that never comes). This is the essence of Darkness: awaiting, anticipating, expecting the worse, yet ultimately remaining just what is in the moment. This is Dark Music at it's best; stuff that can actually make you feel fear, which is far from a bad thing in music.