---------------------------------------------------
ARTiST....: steve jansen
TiTLE.....: slope
LABEL.....: samadhisound
GENRE.....: avantgarde
SOURCE....: cdda
QUALiTY...: VBR / joint-stereo
SiZE......: 64,8 MB
REL.DATE..: nov-11-2007
---------------------------------------------------
01] grip 06:42
02] sleepyard 05:13
03] cancelled pieces 03:21
04] december train 04:14
05] sow the salt 05:50
06] gap of cloud 02:45
07] playground martyrs 03:02
08] a way of disappearing 01:58
09] ballad of a deadman 06:25
10] conversation over 05:08
11] life moves on 02:25
12] playground martyrs (reprise) 03:01
TOTAL TiME : 50:04 min
Beautiful, minimalistic beeps and bleeps wrapped
up in style that's as gloriously understated as
its gossamer-strong substance. If this is where
we'd known Japan would lead us, we'd have loved
them all the more.
With David Sylvian (Jansen's brother and former
Japan collaborator, for those of you with better
things to do than obsess over the 80s) providing
vocals on some of the tracks here (Playground
Martyrs, Ballad Of A Deadman) and a succession of
male and female vocals on many of the others
(including Tim Elsenberg, Anja Garbarek, Thomas
Feiner, Joan As Police Woman, Wasser and Nina
Kinert) you'd be forgiven for worrying that this
might all descend into one of those terrible
vanity projects fuelled by an ego in need of a
producer.
Thankfully, Steve Jansen is much too clever for
this. From the minimalist five minute saxophone
and synth (almost) instrumental of opener Grip,
shot through towards the end with the ghost voices
of another world, to its bassier and fuller
successor, the midnight lullaby of Sleepyard and
onwards, this is a truly beautiful album.
Perhaps if the honesty is turned up to 11 this is
a record only a child of the 80s could love, but
if that starts to put you off remember that it's
filtered through voodoo blues. Interestingly, one
of the best tracks is December Train, the only one
on which Jansen performs alone. Credited with
'electric percussion, sampled instruments and
synths', you do wonder why he bothered with
anything, or anyone, else at all.
The reason of course, is because the addition of
collaborators raises the bar even further. The
wonderfully funereal Sow The Salt, for example, on
which Thomas Feiner and Ingo Frenzel aid and abet.
The beat is slow and languid, molasses thick and
just as rich. In contrast, Gap of Cloud is, as its
name suggests, barely there at all.
Most strikingly, this is an album that has no fear
of silence because from silence can emerge the
haunting clarinet of A Way Of Disappearing, the
perfect contrast to the fuller, more layered
Ballad Of A Deadman, on which Sylvian and Joan
Wasser duet on a song that sounds as if it's risen
from a velvet-wrapped grave. The vocal-less
Conversation Over hints that Jansen might even
have a sense of humour - never a top priority on
the New Romantic rider.
Slope is a superbly structured album as well as a
beautifully styled one. As we begin to wind down
through the heavy piano chords of Life Moves On,
we have time to reflect back on exactly what we
have here: an album drenched in the self-assurance
afforded by the critical acclaim of its
predecessor Nine Horses plus more than 30 years of
opting for critical acclaim over mainstream
success.
Nina Kinert sees us out, with a reworking of the
same Playground Martyrs David Sylvian sang for us
at the mid-point of this musical odyssey. Slope is
a beautiful album, styled and encouraged and
groomed by two very beautiful boys who have grown
into very beautiful men. If music was clothing, it
would be a satin smoking jacket. Wrap yourself up
in it, lie back and don't be afraid to inhale.
http://slope.stevejansen.com/
Buy me if you love me :)