Hullo All,
I haven't been constructively active on the list for quite a while, so I
thought I'd drop a few lines about Bola's Gnayse, out on Skam right now.
I've been a fanatic follower of Fitton's work since the tracks on
AiII. With Blipsalt, I fell instantly in love with the rather unique sound
he has been able to keep very recognisable without becoming stale. I hear
some parallels with the sound of the Conner brothers, better know as
Bitstream: cool, sharp, metallic yet enticingly melodic, softened by
string layers and other harmonic elements.
On first listen, I was constantly caught unawares by the soft string
layers and the beauty of the melodies juxtaposed with harsher clicking,
whirring and stinging percussions. The sound is more alike to Fyuti and
Jello's Voile than the the distinctive smoothness of Soup. Sometimes
fringing on the abrasive, Gnayse progresses through a futuristic but very
comforting aural landscape. I admmit I found Fyuti more easily
approachable than Gnayse, because while the sound has stayed familiar
enough, there has been definite progress - the production is razor-sharp
and compositions exquisite.
I'm tempted to compare the progress of the sound on Bola's albums to
that of Autechre's, because their sound has been progressively more
difficult to approach, let alone digest. Don't get me wrong, I'm as much a
fan of Autechre's as I'm of Bola's, yet I find Bola more frequently
palatable than the more recent Autechre releases.
It is actually very interesting to compare the first three albums of
both artists side by side - Incunabula/Soup, Amber/Fyuti, Gnayse/Tri
Repetae. If the comparison holds, the next Bola album should be even more
complex and involved, like Autechre's Chiastic Slide. But I digress.
I know I have to give Gnayse plenty of listens before it grows on me,
yet I have been convinced since the first few bars of Eluus that I'm going
to passionately love this album. It is like most love affairs: first, the
anticipation and doubt if it will click; then the confusion and
exhilaration of falling in love; the handling of complexities and
differences, and finally, the settling down to long-term happiness (with
occasional bouts of neglect, unless the relationship is exceptionally well
balanced). Two years have built high expectations towards this album, and
at least for me, Gnayse follows through. It's frighteningly beautiful and
complex.
I heartily recommend Gnayse to any and all on the list. Also, if you
liked the artwork on Fyuti, do buy the actual album, whether on vinyl or
CD. The artwork by Michael England on Gnayse is again astoundingly
beautiful and disturbing.
Cheers,
--
nuutti-iivari meriläinen gordon at diversion dot org
http colon slash slash www dot diversion dot org slash
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