Jim Kirkwood - Canterbury Black (c) 2007 Jim Kirkwood
Artist....: Jim Kirkwood
Album.....: Canterbury Black
Type......: Album
Source....: CDDA
Tracks....: 03
Genre.....: Electronic
Label.....: Jim Kirkwood
Catalogue#: D.AM.25
Encoder...: LAME 3.97
Quality...: VBR kbps / 44.1KHz / Joint-Stereo
URL.......: www.synthmusicdirect.com
Tracklist:
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01 A Cathedral Of Crows 12:00
02 An Evening On Black Knoll 30:47
03 Crow Road Pt.2 28:59
Total:93,2 MB / 71:46 min
Release Notes:
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Jim Kirkwood is a very interesting character who creates Berlin School
Electronic Music with a dark twist. And on dark themes too. Sort of
Gothic synthetic drive if you like. Maybe it's not very original
musically, but thematically it is, as well as in execution. I highly
recommend it, but then again, I love dark music. It's not as scary as
some of the Dark Ambient stuff, but still not for the faint-hearted.
Lot's of raw energy here, sort of like Phaedra but usually more
energetic.
By Jim's standards he has been away for quite some time, so it was with
a sense of excitement that I pressed Play for the first track 'A
Cathedral of Crows'. My eager anticipation is rewarded big style as
what an awesome return we have here. 'Canterbury Black' turns out to be
one of his very best albums ever. Right from the thunderous charging
vast organ surge opening, played with manic glee backed by ethereal
angelic wordless colouring then huge rhythmic flourishes, it is obvious
that Jim has used the time (mainly spent concentration on his artwork)
to recharge his batteries, resulting in music that at times reaches
levels of power and oomph laden angst not attained even by him before
(and that is saying something!). A euphoric blistering lead line almost
screams to the heavens as the rhythms become even more insistent. This
is surely one of the most exciting openings to an album Jim has ever
penned. It is impossible to overstate just how good it is. The next
stage gets underway as a belting sequence spews forth, underpinned by a
second bass one that should get the whole house shaking. There is no
let up in the wonderful mayhem as the energetic saga continues. The
sequences might subside slightly but then the organ surges forward once
more as if the long dead rise from their uneasy sleep
. 'An Evening on Black Knowle' initially calms things down with almost
birdlike twitterings and soft misty pads gently drifting through the
air. A rapid melodic sequence picks up the pace. Thundering bass stabs
and another laser sharp lead heightening the excitement. A lone monk
adds a little wordless vocal colouring as the rhythms and leads morph
into a more reflective but equally as captivating pattern. By the tenth
minute the storm has passed and we are left in an uneasy calm. A slow
moody rhythm strikes up soon to be backed by lovely little melodic
touches. This beautiful passage eventually descends to more moody
drifting pads. A sense of anticipation is formed as yet another
fantastic sequence explodes to the surface; this time backed my moody
mellotron then subtle rhythms. The pace and power seems to increase by
the second as gradually things are once again whipped up to frenzied
proportions. 'The Crow Road Part 2' begins with chilling winds and
demonic utterances- spooky stuff! Gregorian chants can be heard low in
the mix as fizzing stabs of sonic power fly over the top like
meteorites burning up in the sky above. When the sequence arrives it is
a swirling one, quite subdued and moody, setting the scene for what is
to come. The second sequence arrives, pulsations morphing this way and
that, sometimes subsiding for excellent little interludes only to
resurface again to continue the noble quest. We get a passage of
extremely moody and ominous atmospherics out of which emerges a fresh
slow percussive sequence. More sequences fall into formation but this
is fairly subtle stuff with a touch of melancholy. Jim tells me that
this is just the first album in a series of four. I can't wait for the
next instalment! (DL)
-SMD