Principal of Silence Live

Principle of Silence is actually vidnaObmana with jazz musician Joris De Backer on double bass, strings, and chanting. As usual, vidnaObmana contributes his favorite toys, the fujaras, as well as electric guitar, voice, and atmospheres. It plays very much like a vidnaObmana solo CD, and a good one at that.

This is a true live recording in real time, no overdubs. In fact, these two tried to create something in the studio, and found it simply wasn't working. Spontaneity was required to bring the project to fruition. The end result is lush ambient textures with a symbiotic complexity to it. Sometimes De Backer gently plucks his double bass, other times he uses a bow. In fact, in the 11-minute bonus video clip, 'The Fall,' one gets to see them simultaneously using their bows, De Backer on his vintage-looking standing double bass, and vidnaObmana on his contemporary electric guitar. If you've never seen vidnaObmana in concert, I can attest from experience that the video clip is much like being there. This is a typical setting for one of his shows, an intimate church sanctuary with a small but very appreciative crowd. As ambient music goes, this is serious heady stuff, with a quality not unlike chamber music. On occasion I find vidnaObmana's serious complex works a bit too dark and dissonant for my taste, but that isn't the case here.