a r t i s t : Goldmund
t i t l e : The Heart of High Places
d a t e : 2006
l a b e l : Type Records
c a t : T7PE004
s o u r c e : Vinyl
g e n r e : Instrumental
r l s. d a t e : Oct/2006
t r a c k s : 06
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 8,9 MB
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Multi instrumentalist Keith Kenniff (aka Helios) returns to
his Goldmund project for the second time with this small but
perfectly formed collection of six tracks as part of Type's
ongoing and exclusive 7" series. He once again takes the piano
as the centerpiece of his sound, eschewing laptop treatment or
overblown effects for simple, honest live recording.
The record opens with "Unbraiding the Sun", a delicately
melancholy piece which would sit best maybe as the
accompaniment to a French film, smoke slowly rising on a
window-sill as the sun pierces the gaps. This track is like a
perfectly paced poem, with the pauses for breath just as
important as the words or notes themselves, and it sets a
precedent for the rest of the record. We quickly move on to
the ethereal beauty of "Heavenfallen", an appropriately titled
hymn which drums up a hope some of us have forgotten. The B
side begins with "Cavalcade" which lays down a mournful
narrative before the uplifting improvisation of "Sumi-e", a
track which probably best sums up Kenniff's matchless style -
distant and unpretentious melodies played in such a way that
he sidesteps the current genre trends and fashions. What we
have is a record which comes across as deeply innocent and
uncluttered, a record which serves to accompany Kenniff's
acclaimed "Corduroy Road" album while somehow also subtly
moving on stylistically. Close your eyes and let the music
reveal itself to you.
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01-Unbraiding the Sun [01:33]
02-Heavenfallen [01:30]
03-Procreant [01:21]
04-Cavalcade [01:54]
05-Sumi-e [01:36]
06-All Four Holy Mountains [02:37]
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10:31 min