Robert Rich Bestiary

Klik hier voor de Nederlandstalige versie

Gloop is the best way to describe the first few seconds of the opener 'Mantis Intentions' as a thick collage of bubbling sounds ooze from the speakers. We also get strange warbling animal noises and a low deep rhythm- So deep in fact you can hardly hear it. A sort of sequencer line (for want of a better term) then comes in but it is rather rapid and high register as if thousands of insects are scuttling over the ground. More levels of sound rise from the depths to slowly submerge like gusts of some strange wind. As you will realise this is highly descriptive music- fascinating in fact. Unlike much ambient music it draws you in rather than wafting over you. In fact so much is going on that it can hardly be thought of as ambient at all.

We make the transition to the second track 'Nesting on Cliffsides' on the back of a gentle rhythm which has a curious effect of sort of ebbing and flowing in intensity, quite a unique quality that confuses the senses somewhat. A meandering lead line creates pictures of birds gliding this way and that but in the fourth minute everything is submerged under a multi layered blanket of fizzing, swirling sound.

Very fast sequencer effects deep in the middle of the mix give it a somewhat psychedelic trance like feel which then descends into soft calm windy pads accompanied by more odd muddy bubbly effects. These sounds continue into 'Dante's Anthropomorphic Zoo', the bubbling now turning into more of a dripping sequence accompanied by some strange string sound which comes over as a sort of half animal half human moaning effect. Very very odd indeed.

Things normalise slightly (actually it would be better to say become a little less strange than before)as we move into the title track on a deep pulsing / warbling sound. These pulsations get deeper and more complex as the track progresses with yet more images of many legged creepy creatures dashing this way and that. 'Carapace Hides the Delicacy' is actually quite melodic especially the lead line which has a sort of ethereal sound of a Siren quality enticing people to their deaths. Added detail is provided by an excellent trance like sequence. Its a lovely but deceptively complex track.

'Folded Space' is much more of a floater than anything that has gone before though there is a voice that can just be heard under the undulating pads. To start with 'Sharpening Her Talons' gets even more cosmic on the back of a vast pool of hiss then deep pounding effects like a cross between cannon fire and dungeon doors being slammed take over, scrapping sounds being placed over the top.

The first couple of minutes of 'Premonition of Circular Clouds' makes prominent use of a rather screechy wind instrument but then settles down to vocal effects / singing over dripping note droplets- all very tranquil but if you don't like vocals as part of your EM it might be a track to skip. This would be a shame however as I found it rather relaxing and meditative. Certainly a nice contrast to the rest of the album.

Of all the musicians from the US that can loosely be put into the 'ambient' category Robert Rich is certainly my favourite. All his albums seem to have an individual character of their own but here he has come up with something the like of which I have never heard before. Yes I did enjoy it but wouldn't like to delve too deeply into the mind of its creator as what we have here surely is right on that border between genius and madness. (DL)

Nederlandstalige versie

"Mantis Intentions" opent met een dikke brij van borrelende klanken, alsook met vreemde kwetterende dierengeluiden en een laag diep ritme, zo laag zelfs dat je het amper kunt horen. Er wordt een soort sequencerlijn toegevoegd maar deze klinkt alsof er duizenden insecten over de grond schuifelen. Uit de diepte komen er meer klanklagen bij om later omwikkeld te worden door vreemde windvlagen. Eigenlijk zeer beschrijvende muziek - fascinerend.

Anders dan de meeste ambient trekt dit je in de muziek, i.p.v. dat je er op drijft. Er gebeurt eigenlijk teveel om dit ambient te noemen. "Nesting on Cliffsides" begint met een zacht ritme en geeft een beetje "eb en vloed"-gevoel, om dan terug af te dalen naar zachte winderige dalen, alles geeft een beetje verwarring in je geest. Een kronkelende sololijn roept beelden op van vogels die naar beneden glijden, tot weer alles versnelt in een kakofonie van bruisende, kolkende klanken. Snelle sequencer effecten geven dit geheel een beetje een psychedelisch trance gevoel, om dan terug af te dalen naar zachte winderige golven, bijgestaan door modderige, borrelige klanken. Deze klanken houden ook aan in "Dante's Anthropomorphic Zoo", het borrelige nu vervangen door druipend klinkende sequences en vreemde stringsklanken die eerder klinken als half dierlijk/half menselijk gekreun. Heel heel erg vreemd.

Het wordt een beetje minder vreemd met de titeltrack. Diepe pulserende klanken, beelden oproepend van veelpotige dieren, kruipend in alle richtingen. Carapace hides the Delicacy" is daarentegen vrij melodisch, met een zeer etherisch klinkende sololijn, heel Sirene-achtig, voorbijgangers lokkend naar hun dood. Er wordt een trance-achtige sequence toegevoegd en dit maakt deze track mooi maar toch zeer complex. "Folded Space" is vrij rustig en maakt gebruik van een stem. "Sharpening her Talons" begint kosmisch met ruisklanken totdat er klanken bijkomen die blijkbaar een combinatie zijn van kanongebulder en toeslaande kerkerdeuren, verder nog aangevuld met schrapende klanken.