Morpheus Music
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Sep 18, 2006 12:28
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STYLE
Digital beats and shimmering electronica inventively woven into downtempo ambient pieces with expertly played cello, violin and clarinet threaded through the heart of most tracks. Rena Jones overlays tinkling, bubbling arps and synth patterns upon smooth strings and pads producing electronic canvases that alternate between bejewelled multifaceted sparkles and spacious atmospheric soundscapes. Her percussion arrangements are fragile, irregular, shifting structures that are not simply beats for the music; they are integral aspects of the overall sound - deeply stitched into the mix. Where the sounds of cello, violin or clarinet are employed - the approach is not that of classical instrument with synthetic backdrop - rather equal attention is given to both, Jones obviously enjoying the aspects of programming as much as those of passionate virtuoso performance.
MOOD
'Driftwood’ has a clean, crystalline sound - icy, airy - delicate and beautiful. The album has a cutting edge fluidity, technologically bang up to date, yet it never falls into the trap of being mechanical. The music here is eminently human and brims with elegant, feminine sensitivity.
ARTWORK
The artwork features fractal-like spirals and swirls. On the front cover these are comprised of intertwining scrolls of driftwood, leaves and blossom gracefully curling off into pointed tips. The rear cover picks up just the leaves and blossom - again spiralling lazily, this time forming a frame for the track list. When the artwork is unfolded into its full three panels the full glory of the driftwood structure can be seen - now solid and bold. Within is a more detailed track list with full credits, thanks and a dedication. Also an attractive poetic composition attributed to ~Phidelity~.
OVERALL
Driftwood (Rena Jones third full length solo release) is a delicate album of beautiful music - it could fall loosely into the chillout or ambient genres, but this CD seems to transcend such categorisation with an individuality and style that is quite unique. There is evidence of the Native State house sound, if you're familiar with other releases from the label, this CD will have a pleasing familiarity for you. Promotional material aptly points out that "Rena Jones is an anomaly in modern electronic music. She writes, performs, produces, programs, and plays virtuosic strings all by herself. In a music scene dominated by men, she has proven herself to be more capable and more original than her contemporaries. Her work is sophisticated, delicate, touching, and personal". Rena has previously appeared on a number of compilation albums and also works as a part of a number of collaborative projects including String Theories with Evan Bluetech (which promises an album sometime next year).
WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
Native State fans will love this album - Rena continues to push back the boundaries of modern music whilst maintaining the roots of the label. Driftwood is a must for anyone into innovative chillout or percussive ambient - blending classical aesthetics with digital wizardry and a keen ear for detail.
Original review posted at http://www.morpheusmusic.co.uk
Cheers
Paul
  MORPHEUS MUSIC
www.morpheusmusic.co.uk
ELECTRONIC MUSIC MALL
http://www.electronicmusicmall.com |
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