Rothko
& BLK w/BEAR
"Wish for a World Without Hurt" CD
Trace
Recordings
Genres: ambient, experimental, post-rock
May 17 - 23 2004 |
Wish for a World Without Hurt marks the first release of Mark
Beazley's new independent label, Trace Recordings. Beazley,
the main man behind Rothko, has put together this album - a
split between his own outfit and J.S. Adams' BLK w/BEAR
- in remembrance of September 11.
As can be imagined, this is a very emotional - though abstract -
release. A lot of focus is put on soundscapes; both "Wish
for a World Without Hurt" and "Like Nails in the Rain"
use static-like noise to give the sound a powerful, ambient
texture. This electronic manipulation is complimented by
stunning acoustic elements. The title-track, for example, uses a
bleak and beautiful piano part to produce an introspective, almost sad
atmosphere. "Declaration of Loss," on the other hand,
combines field recordings with a moody guitar part - the result sounds
like something that would fit on a Godspeed You Black Emperor!
or A Silver Mt. Zion release.
As an album, Wish for a World Without Hurt flows extremely
well, although its slow nature may be a bit too gradual for some
listeners. In order to appreciate this disc, you will really
need to lie in the dark and let the music wash over you; if you don't
feel you have the patience for that, then Wish for a World probably won't
fit your tastes.
86%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 8 tracks, distributed by Forced
Exposure, released 2003] |