Aquavoice Cold CD / 13 Tracks / 67:33 mins Play Sample:   56K Dialup   Broadband Download Sample:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track(s) 'Part 8') Please go to the Store to buy this item.

A lovely bright metallic tone (with the subtlest of vocal qualities) shimmers through the air over beautiful tinkling effects, like water slowly trickling through a fissure in the rocks down to some subterranean lake. Ideal music for summing up the band's name I suppose. A pulse starts to be heard then fades away as we enter 'Part 2', odd little samples accompany the transition. The feel now becomes a little warmer. There are quite a few layers of sound here, each working as one wonderful whole but not over cluttering things so retaining the exquisite beauty. We again move through to the next part on the back of samples of someone clattering around doing some work. Faint speech can just be heard as more lovely shimmers, most quite metallic sounding with a strange warmth to them, float through the air. 'Part 4' starts with a strummed two-note loop with a strange scraped aftersound. A second loop, this time forming a bass line joins the first and between them they create quite a hypnotic effect. We are back to shimmering drones for 'Part 5' but this time seeming more like a heat haze accompanied by odd animal noises. Manic utterances made me think we were going to take a walk on the dark side but then a lovely slow melodic line materialises changing the mood completely. The 6th Part starts with some echoing pulses that almost mimic the sound of a cuckoo. We then get samples of what sounds like a busy café. These are then juxtapositioned by a series of explosions. All this is over a very sparse backing which heightens the eerie effect. Soft mellotron pads and flutey synth then make an entrance but their lightness and beauty seems in strange contrast to the backing. This is a very curious but highly compelling track which I just had to play again before moving on. I wouldn't say that revisiting it increased my understanding but it did heighten my appreciation still further. 'Part 7' initially strips things right back with plucked strings, the sound of a man and child speaking and subtle little effects. Repeated echoing tones take over with curious scraping sounds in the background. The next part features an organ rising out of a sea of ticking and rumbling effects, to eventually stand in near isolation until the most prominent melody on the album so far wafts over the top. The 9th Part has a little warm warbling tone over some immensely deep rumbles. There is a sense of unease however though this is contrasted by a simple almost playful melody. The drone fades away as tinkling effects become more prominent. Relaxing stuff certainly, but with a strange edge to it. The deep drone returns for Part 10 but it is so low that it is on the edge of hearing. Slow footsteps can be heard as crystalline tones drift skywards. A door creeks. It all has a rather dreamy feel to it that could at any time turn to nightmare but doesn't. Whispers can just be heard but not made out. Part 11 is somewhat more experimental in that it uses a rather unsettling glitch effect followed by rapid note loop. Other than this the backing is rather soothing but on the whole I didn't find this track an easy listen. Part 12 is a completely different matter however in that it is supremely relaxed with sampled monologue over the top. The Final Part is another curious but somehow satisfying piece that has to be heard a number of times to be fully appreciated. All sorts of effects, some windy, some like deep breathing, others insectile or bestial all weave a strangely organic tapestry over which a slow three note mournful melody hangs, subtly mutating as it goes. There is a curious repeated hissing stab that brings the CD to its conclusion. This is an 'ambient' album of the highest quality. Every piece is supremely crafted. It seems like tremendous care and skill has gone into creating or selecting every sound and then combining them together in just the right setting for maximum effect. This might make you think that the music would be rather clinical but that most certainly is not the case. It's rather as if the artist knew what he wanted to say and made sure that the sounds were just right to do so. I am sure the ideas come first then the sounds. These tracks are true compositions not just a series of nice multilayered pads (as is the case with some inferior ambient music). (DL)

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