Quantum Consciousness (2006)
After
seven years of silence they are heard again. Raffaele Serra and Alio Die's Quantum
Consciousness is an mysterious electronic journey (5 tracks without
interruption) that, though still ambient music, comes close to '70s-era
electronic cosmic music. An unbroken journey of great intensity characterized
with an electronic refined touch and a flood- like vitality, always at the
threshold of mystery's whirlpool.
Powerful electronic mantras that in these lands have already given some kind of
earthly utterance. Great artwork in gold print on dark green.
Label
press / Projekt
MUSIC
Opening with dramatic gongs, murmuring voices and cinematic sweeps - Quantum
Consciousness establishes an expansive warm soundscape where intermittent
electronic bleeps and flickering static play across the smooth surface. Various
effects fluctuate in levels of dominance - surges, mechanical clickings,
burbling electronica. The warm tones give way in a number of places to less
comfortable patterns of notes, darker atmospheres, ambiguous zones where
puzzling noises come and go. There are low, garbled voices and fluttering
pitch-shifted breaths along with rhythmic heavy breathing - sometimes dropping
to little more than a faint movement of air. Simple musical motifs recur in
places, becoming mesmerising in repetition - there is even a soft beat at one
point. Frequently the mood drops almost to a sombre introspective level - but
always there is a sense of wonder and mystery, chimes and percussive objects
reverberating, unidentified environmental recordings stirring up dirt and murk..
ARTWORK
Designed by Hic Sunt Leones - the whole package is suffused in a flat,
deep green with gold imagery. Serpents twine in a deathly struggle on the front
cover - simple and stark against the sea of green. The jewel case reverse
carries an archaic image of a world surrounded by clouds, blown into movement by
cherubs. The legend 'Prepare to have your reality shattered' proclaims the
intent of the music. Inside we have another serpent design - this time black
against green - framing the tracklist, gear description and recording
information.
OVERALL
After seven years of silence from the release of their last collaborative
work Raffaele Serra and Alio Die here create together an absorbing series of
moods. This music was composed between 2004 and 2005 with Raffaele Serra working
with analog and digital synthesizers, tapes and electronics and Stefano Musso
providing drones and loops, editing, zither, field recordings, valvular radio.
Saffron Wood is also mentioned in the sleeve notes, having provided a flute
sample on the track 'Green Desire'. The album consists of five lengthy tracks of
organic ambience and electronic atmosphere. For those familiar with the work of
Alio Die - the earthy nature of this release will be familiar - mystical and
thought provoking.
Quantum Consciousness
is a project by Raffaele Serra and Stefano Musso. The latter is probably best
known for his for under the moniker Alio Die. This release is released on a
sublabel of Hic Sunt Leones, which is the label run by, what do you know,
Stefano Musso!
The artwork is simple
yet very nice. The front of the booklet shows a drake (dragon without arms) and
a snake fighting, while the back shows some sort of mandala, except for the fact
that mandala's are usually very colorful. The booklet however has a dark green
as background color, and the images and words are in gold. Very simple, yet very
nice indeed. The back of the release shows a more complex piece of art, yet
still in gold on dark green background. I can't really figure out what it is,
but it looks like some kind of world surrounded by clouds. Kind of hard to
describe really.
This
CD consists of five pretty long (8-16 minutes) pieces of music. I certainly
enjoyed the five pieces of music. Right from the start I couldn't shake the
thought of wandering through a post nuclear landscape. Imagine a city after it
has been in war. All buildings razed. Then, there's only silence. You wake up,
barely alive, and start wandering around. During this, it is very likely that
you hear what 'Quantum Consciousness' brings to your ears. Paranoid and
frightening at times, as if you expect a mutant killer zombie around every
corner.
I can't help but describing what I envision while listening this. I can imagine
this isn't what you want to read. Just stick with me. I'm not used reviewing
this sort of dark ambient. I certainly enjoy some, and I can surely enjoy this
release as well. Preferably when lying in bed and not being able to sleep yet.
This is perfect music to let your mind wander off. Contrary to many dark ambient
I listened, this is not boring at all, even though it doesn't have that much SPM
(sounds per minute, joke introduced previous issue). It's simply dragging you
right into the music, and not letting you go. This is the post apocalyptic
soundtrack for your mind.
ChAwech / HeathenHarvest.com