Release Info:
Artist : Allseits
Album : Chimare
Genre : Ambient
Label : Cyclic Law
Catnum : 80th Cycle
Source : CDDA
URL : http://https://www.discogs.com/Allseits-Chim%C3%A4re/release/8063895
Mode Info:
Tracks : 6
Time : 01:08:50
Size : 127.56 MB
Encode : LAME 32bits version 3.98.4 (http://www.mp3dev.org/) -V0
Quality : 245kbps 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracklist:
1. Drown Intro 9:25
2. October 17:15
3. In The Hills 8:54
4. Interlude 4:43
5. Sink In Sideways 14:51
6. Monster 13:42
68:50 (min)
AllseitsÆ Hel has been one of the most important albums of my life and finally
having the chance to experience what has come after it in the creative inner
world of Nina Kernicke is quite an event to start 2016 off with. I suspect that
no new album will ever take HelÆs place, of course, but thatÆs not exactly
needed anyway. I went into my first experience with her latest album, ChimΣre,
with as few expectations as I could muster. The album has once again been
released by the Canadian-turned-German Cyclic Lawùthe very same imprint who
presented Hel to the world over six years ago.
In times when artistsùespecially those who have earned high praiseùforce
themselves to maintain a steady, if not annoying, amount of musical output to
keep their audience interested, Kernicke has decided to go in the opposite
direction by actually recording and publishing music to satisfy her own desire
to do so. ChimΣre has thus obviously been a long journey; you can sense the
impact that the passing of time has had on the pieces. Allseits has always been
quite complex, with her previous records having been far more emotionally
straightforward. ChimΣre is neither grim nor classically dark, actually varying
quite a bit in terms of the moods it conveys. At times, itÆs deep and black
(æOctoberÆ, my least favorite track of those on ChimΣre), epic and melancholic
(æInterludeÆ), or introverted and ritualesque (æSink in SidewaysÆ, æMonsterÆ).
The record generally feels more personal than anything else that Allseits has
released thus far. Maybe itÆs just my interpretation, but thereÆs no exterior
sonic ideas sculptured here. Yet, a thorough and very intangible inner
self-exploration is present instead. The sense of doubt, curiosity, and a touch
of fear are everywhere in ChimΣre. They make the record sound harsh and radical
because they hint at a creative struggle that goes beyond certain moods,
boundaries, or even external fads, and simply focuses instead on everything
thatÆs burning and melting inside the artist.
Those varying emotions have also resulted in AllseitsÆ sound being more primal,
even slightly chaotic. The pieces may occasionally be unexpectedly raw
(whenever they have to be), but they always seem to remain highly textured and
structurally rich. Especially when experienced on higher volume, ChimΣre hides
an outstanding depth that unveils itself at a sensible pace, often set by
repetitive and monumental percussive patterns that are an exceptional addition
to KernickeÆs already-impressive sonic arsenal.
In the end, I found that I was happy that ChimΣre hadnÆt simply turned out to
be a new Hel, because otherwise I wouldnÆt have any reason to come back to it.
IÆm also happy that Allseits has returned with something that can easily teach
many other musicians one simple lesson: sometimes, time can be an artistÆs best
friend. I only wish that Cyclic Law had taken better care with the artwork
because, franklyùand despite the fact that the label is almost universally
dependable in this departmentùthis one is far too retro in the vein of clichΘ
early-2000s neoclassical projects.