Artist................... Nemesis
Album.....................Xtempora
Label.....................Teosto
Genre.....................Electronic
Release...................04/24/2006
Street....................xx/xx/2005
Encoder...................LAME 3.97 beta
Quality...................--aps 44.1kHz/joint
# NAME TiME
Cd1
01. Xtempora (Part #1) 07:59
02. Xtempora (Part #2) 06:53
03. Xtempora (Part #3) 07:19
04. The Silence Speaks 08:20
05. Dream Transmission 04:43
06. Bubastis 05:22
07. Largo 03:47
08. Huygens 06:57
09. Beryllium 08:47
10. Im Anfang War 03:04
11. Prometeus 06:30
12. Sub Vesperum 02:41
Cd2
01. Glacialis 20:27
02. Flowolf 06:55
03. Pittura Metafisica 05:53
04. Behemoth (Part #1) 05:35
05. Behemoth (Part #2) 06:08
06. Behemoth (Part #3) 05:17
07. Behemoth (Part #4) 02:27
08. Behemoth (Part #5) 05:03
09. Behemoth (Part #6) 02:57
10. Behemoth (Part #7) 09:40
Shimmering tones, some being fairly melodic, mix
together to form a tranquil beginning to Part One of
the three-part title track. Little sequences start to
bounce along on the back of some excellent body moving
rhythms. Melodies can be heard lower in the mix but
they form more of a supportive role to the syncopations
rather than being a prominent feature. The Second Part
is still rhythmic but calms things down a little before
morphing into quite a groove with some absolutely
gorgeous little space guitar licks. We surge into the
final part. Initially the guitar departs as more
wonderful but delicate lead lines come and go but it
then returns being even more effective than before.
What a superb way to start an album!
'The Silence Speaks' begins with what sounds likes
heavy breathing rising up from the bottom of some dank,
water-dripping shaft. Cold metallic pads replace the
previous sounds but the feel is just as bleak as
before. A sequence starts to solidify, mutating all the
time as other percussive loops join it in an
ever-shifting sea of pulsations. A steady pattern is
eventually maintained and lovely little melodic touches
are placed over the top. These melodies become stronger
and more uplifting as we progress. It's another
fantastic track where it is best to close your eyes and
let the music take your mind where it will. The
amazingly high quality already set continues with
'Dream Transmission', a track based round some
exquisite melodies using a superb mutated tubular bell
type sound. 'Bubastis' starts with a short repeated
melodramatic melodic motif. A rapid sequence surges
forward, a killer drum pattern following quickly on its
heels. Delicate melodies bounce over the top acting as
a foil to the power underneath. Gentle rain heralds the
atmospheric 'Largo', and all rather peaceful it is too,
acting as something of an interlude before 'Huygens'.
The rhythms are cranked up again, though not to silly
levels. Growling guitar effects give a slightly ominous
edge but then a lovely bubbly bouncing sequence enters
lightening the mood once more. More sinister sounds
keep returning however keeping us on our toes, never
quite knowing in which direction we are going to be
taken. In the third minute yet another brilliant lead
takes centre stage before being replaced by an
apocalyptic organ sound.
'Beryllium' takes us to a futuristic swampland full of
unsavoury beasties. It's as if we are on the edge of a
feverish dream with half heard echoing vocal effects. A
very faint percussive loop starts up with a slow
melodic sequence soon joining it. A lovely delicate
lead line arrives just before the fifth minute
completing the mutation from nightmare to soothing,
relaxing sleep. 'Im Anfang warà' tricks you into
thinking it is a laid back, though a rather ghostly
number. Suddenly there is a surge of sound introducing
some spoken text in German then in English 'Welcome to
Hell no pity here' then 'Welcome to here no Pity in
Hell'. All rather menacing stuff! 'Prometeus' returns
us to more conventional EM. An excellent no nonsense
sequence strikes up along with lovely mellotron
backing. Another sequence comes into play, quite
melodic this one, taking the lead line role. Things
then start to unwind for a peaceful finish. 'Sub
Vesperum' is a completely different kettle of fish
concluding this first CD with a short harpsichord /
mellotron duet. Simply beautiful.
The second CD is subtitled 'Glacialis'. In my opinion
this CD is (until the last part of the final track) in
complete contrast to the first. So much so in fact that
I wonder why it was packaged with the first CD in that
it seems to have very little musically in common with
it. This isn't to say that it is inferior in any way to
the first, just exploring the more atmospheric and
'ambient' side to Nemesis. We start with the
twenty-minute title track. With such a name I rather
expected it to have an icy cold feel but instead it
starts with what to me sounded like warm soothing
shimmering pads. Gradually some sonic spacey effects
are also introduced drawing the mind out of what was
becoming quite a hypnotic state. More sounds and drones
are gradually introduced but without ever overcrowding
the soundstage or intruding on the blissed out
atmosphere.
'FlowoIF' gets a bit stranger with a couple of ticking
loops providing a rhythm, of sorts, to which are added
various windy effects then another two note loop and
very faint sequence. It has to be said that it is all a
little experimental but fascinating dark moody stuff
nevertheless. 'Pittura Metafisica' takes us on a train
ride (complete with chugging steam) through a hot
foreign land. To start off with all is relaxed and
tranquil but by the second minute the train has
departed and we seem to have been left in a very
ominous dark setting full of gurgling effects and other
spooky sounds. The seven-part 'Behemoth' is an
incredible thirty-seven minute epic. The First Part
starts with water droplet notes, some echoing
gorgeously into the distance. Weird sounds start to
intrude on the serenity and things take a slightly
ominous twist. The Second Part surges forward with a
multi layered cacophony of drones and effects. It's all
rather intense stuff. Part Three calms things down a
little especially when a lovely mournful flute makes an
entrance. The melancholy continues with some heartfelt
tron playing. It all has a rather early seventies sound
to it.
Part Four provides a peaceful couple of minutes of
spacey drift until footsteps intrude just before we
move into Part Five. Rumbles can be heard sounding
almost like some extra deep bass kettledrum or Satanic
heartbeat. As with all the tracks so far it's extremely
atmospheric- in a disturbing sort of way. The mood does
lighten nearer the end however and this continues
through to Part Six. Lovely little guitar licks mix
with more lush mellotron sounding just like something
off an album by RMI - absolutely wonderful. The last
part is liked some refugee from the first disc. A
stunning sequence rumbles forward. More note runs are
added as well as, of course, the return of the
mellotron. The pace slowly increases as do the layers
of sound and pulsation- plus we get more wonderful
guitar. Again the most obvious comparison is RMI but
this time at their most turbo charged. Mere words can't
do this nine minutes of brilliance justice- probably
the best section over the two CD set. What a way to
finish!
We use LAME 3.97 now, which is approved.
142:44 min
205,1 Mb