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Artist: Artemiy Artemiev Reviews:
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Transfiguration is actually two albums in one, to my way of thinking. Artemiy Artemiev and Peter Frohmader have recorded four tracks that explore various impressive electronic music (EM) arenas - all of them dramatic, rhythmic, and energizing. They have also recorded an expansive nearly-thirty-minute excursion into deep dark (and cacophanous at times) ambient territory. The result is an album that would suffer from split-personality disorder except that it kicks everloving ass! I love BOTH "sides" of this recording equally as much. Each track is titled "Transfiguration" except that each track has the appropriate Roman numeral afterwards (I, II, etc.). "I" opens with some swirling retro-synth textures and soon erupts into some thunderous rhythms (great booming bass) with laser zaps galore and Demby-esque synth choruses drenching the cut in high drama. Crescendoes abound and a variety of electronic rhythms beat a midtempo cadence into your skull. Serious "turn it way up" tune! "II" has a more funereal feel to it at first. March-like tempos are counterpointed by retro analog-sounding synths before way cool kinetic rhythms bounce in from the sides of the soundfield. A somber lower register synth is matched by a higher register flute line while analog synth sounds bombard you from all sides. It's like a war of keyboards - yet Artemiev and Frohmader never let things get out of control (and, actually, listening to this on speakers instead of headphones will soften some of what I'm describing as it will disappear into the background). "III" begins with solid Berlin-school textures galore. Lots of cool rhythms, some vocoder work, and lush keyboards in minor keys make this track a standout. The energy level of this song escalates and the intensity increases more and more as the cut progresses. "IV" juxtaposes electronics with subtle world beat rhythms and some cyber-jazz textures (via trumpet samples) but the track is so high-energy that it still fits in nicely with the EM that has come before. "Transfiguration V" is an example of how a single motif can be repeated throughout nearly thirty minutes yet never sound stale. Perpetual drones, forlorn musical notes, bubbling synths, and other overt electronic/spacy synth effects all combine at the track's start and the cut just oozes mystery and foreboding. Sparse vocal chant samples and the emergence of both timpani and snare drum rhythms elevate the track beyond mere drone ambience into something more eerie without dragging it into avant garde hell. A steady drum kit beat is folded in to the music gradually and this is where the track settles, with some subtle permutations (and some unsubtle ones too, such as crashing noise effects and bassy horns blurting out now and then). The track builds and builds, becoming quite the musical "Bolero-ish" orgasm of notes, rhythms,and electronics. It's possible that some people will find this strange combination (four highly accessible EM numbers followed by a 30-minute dark ambient/rhythm tone poem, filled with strange noises, some alarmingly loud percussion, and a sense of dread which permeates the environment) hard to get a hold of. I'll admit that I wasn't sure what I thought of it until I immersed myself on headphones one day. It was at that point that I began to enjoy the long ambient track and its slow evolutionary style as it makes micro-moves from one texture to another. The first four tracks are automatic - any EM lover will enjoy these various treatments on melody and rhythm. The last Transfiguration track, though, will require some getting used to, with it's arrhythmic cymbal crashes, both rhythmic and irregular snare beats, gongs, noises, and apparent semi-randomness. But let "Transfiguration V" sink in and you'll be stunned at how all-enveloping it all becomes. This is one seriously cool album and I recommend it highly to both EM and dark ambient fans (who are not addicted to "softer" ambient music and don't mind some thunder amidst the drones).
Comprised mostly of earlier unreleased works (going as far back as 1988) Artemiy Artemiev has released what, in my opinion, is his most accessible and "friendly" album so far. Previously knowing Artemiy more for such dark and spacy works as Dreams in Moving Space and Space Icon, Forgotten Themes came as a shock to me. Full of great melodic EM, it reminded me (at times) of a cross between Richard Burmer and Patrick O'Hearn. While some cuts ("Space Distortion," "Realm of Shadows," and "An Autumn Breath") do harken back to earlier releases, most of what's here is much more structured and hook-oriented. Flat out, the CD is a blast and once I got over the shock of hearing such mainstream (relatively) music from Artemiy, I couldn't get enough of the CD! Starting off with the heavily rhythmic "Theme from The Fan I-II" (is this from the Robert DeNiro movie?), which uses a propulsive beat and creative EM keyboards, the album immediately grabs your attention with its catchy melodies and innovative use of synths. Next up is "The Last Waltz" (no, not from The Band's concert film) a slice of neo-classical EM featuring very cool harpsichord-like synths and a Berlin-esque drum machine rhythm that gets into your bloodstream! The piece has a strong undercurrent of Germanic EM influence although it's not the least bit derivative of that school either. Maybe this is neo-Balkan EM? It has an Eastern European folk texture to it at times which is hard to explain. But it sure does rock! Snaky synth strings and washes of melody enter at the midpoint and the song really hits its stride. Nearly every single cut on Forgotten Themes is a winner. "An Evening in the Country" should strike that Richard Burmer chord in fans of that artist. Mixing the sound of a rainstorm with a percussive blend of various melodic synths yields a highly enjoyable and quite musical song. A flute-like lead synth line carries the main melody above twinkling bells - it's all too delicious for words, let me tell you. "Sand Castle" is classic vintage "new age" EM, with plucked strings, melodic yet sparse synths and relaxed midtempo cadence all done up in a variety of keyboard textures. "Night City" features exotic hand percussion, snaky rhythms, mildly word beat-influenced keyboards and a sensuousness often lacking in EM. A somber lower register synth line, along with lush synth strings, reverses the emotional impact of this cut, turning it into something almost forlorn and melancholic. Very cool! I don't care much for "Space Distortion," a slice of quasi-experimental/ambient music, more in keeping with the spirit of Artemiy's earlier releases like Dreams in Moving Space. But the next cut, "Realm of Shadows," while dark and somewhat menacing, is incredible! Powerful lower register synths (sounding like an arsenal of orchestral basses and cellos) playing in a staccato-effect are juxtaposed with a discordant violin-like sound. While the piece is somewhat atonal and maybe even experimental in nature, it has a strong melodic character nonetheless. The album's centerpoint, if you will, is the almost twenty-minute long "An Autumn Breath," which is the only "new" cut on the album. It's an evocative exploration of ambient minimalism along the lines of Eno and Budd. A solitary digital piano (?) is counterpointed by a lower register piano refrain with a decent amount of echo effect thrown into the mix as well. Later in the song, rhythmic elements are introduced, but the cut remains solidly in the minimalist camp. While this is in marked contrast to the rest of the album, I loved it and I don't believe it disrupts the album's flow to any great degree. The last two songs include a rather gonzo EM version of the classic American folk song "I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger" (an oddity but Artemiy manages to carry it off admirably) and the album concludes with a true oddity, "The Ending" which is a whimsical yet scary (think Tim Burton doing gypsy/circus music!) song that sounds like a Eastern European orchestra whose members watched too many Hammer horror films! Quite funny in a demented way but also very well done, too, and I wound up enjoying the song in spite of myself! What can I say? Artemiy Artemiev is talented as hell. If these are truly "forgotten themes," I'm glad they were "found." There are enough creative gems on this album to fuel a whole series of recordings. While I never expected such a "friendly" album from one of my favorite ambient/dark ambient composers, I'm impressed all to hell with this new side (old side?) of the Russian EM master. Bravo, Artemiy, bravo!
From ace Russian electronic soundsculpter and ambient artist Artemiy Artemiev (working with Phillip Klinger) comes what is easily one of the scariest recordings of dark ambient music I've ever heard. Dreams in Moving Space will definitely be played on my outdoor speakers on Halloween for all the neighborhood kiddies to hear. Attempting to accurately describe this music would be impossible (yes, even for me). It's filled with everything from minor key swirling synthesizers, deep drones, odd synthesizer effects, post-industrial noise, dissonance, and about a million other creepy sounds. Okay, okay - you convinced me. I'll try to adequately describe this CD. Sheesh! Another thing about Dreams in Moving Space is that it's LONG. It clocks in at over seventy-four minutes in length. You're really getting more than you bargained for here, in more ways than one. If I could afford to lose the bet, I'd wager that you can't last through the whole album in a pitch black room. "Dreams in Moving Space, Part I" opens the CD with an eerie series of synths rising and falling over a background of spooky high-pitched keyboards, odd and reverbed rustlings and rumblings, and whistling synth textures. Kinda like being on a ghost ship in the middle of the night and it's raining outside and...well, you get the idea. It's seriously macabre music! I mean it! It's also over twenty-minutes long and lots more happens before it's over. "Lost Souls in Bamboo Jungle" is less oppressive but is certainly just as weird. Echoed gong-like tones, sounding like glass tubes being struck, blend with heavily-echoed distorted spoken words. Industrial elements in the background and truly bizarre keyboard textures swirl and dance all around. The song inspires a strange sort of vertigo due to the way the vocals seem to come and go. At times, there is what sounds like the gurgling growl of something..well, to use a line from the SF movie John Carpenter's The Thing, "Whatever it is, it's big and it's pissed off." You get a mild breather with a short five-minute song at the mid-point, "Between People, Or Within" which is an odd arrhythmic atonal soundscape with disturbing scraping noises and howling-like noises. Ya gotta hear it to understand what I'm trying to say, trust me. The album closes with the seventeen-minute "Murmurs Across the Surface" and Part II of "Dreams in Moving Space (Moscow Mix)" (sixteen minutes). "Murmurs Across the Surface" is very dark ambient at its finest - terrifying, unearthly, and yet compelling at times. Synth chords that almost seem to rise and fall in tone are mixed with what sounds like the labored breathing of a giant mechanism. Crank this puppy up (it gets kinda loud at times) and watch your neighbors beat hell outta their houses. They'll probably call a priest thinking your house needs an exorcism. The relentless intensity of the song (with its occasional monstrous crashing gong reverberating like a sonic boom) will suck the joy out of you. Some really disturbing "crunching" noises appear and I'm really glad I'm writing this review during daylight hours. Believe it or not, the CD finally does lose some of its terror on the last cut (relatively speaking). The music is still dark, but a sense of sorrowful beauty has emerged, even amidst the lower register synths, reverbed and echoed gong effects, and almost moaning sounds. What really threw me, though, was the emergence of a rapid-fire drum rhythm in the back of the mix. Counterpointing the noir elements with this "snare drum and high-hat on speed" beat is more than a little disconcerting. It's really weird to hear it so far down in the mix. The drones and synths clearly still dominate the song. Eventually, the cut starts to seriously wig out. Abrasive sounding noises (like a person making rasping noises through a respirator) mix with the synths and that crazy unchanging rhythm. It could drive you bonkers. This doesn't last and the mournful drones again take center stage. Artemiy Artemiev and Phillip Klinger have fashioned a nightmarish and surrealistic vision of some kind of twisted cyberscape, filled with horrific visions, unsettling images, and flat out terrifying sonic assaults. If you think you know dark ambient, think again. Dreams in Moving Space makes Stalker seem like "have a nice nap" music. Whether or not you'll like it is dependent on your ability to withstand some of the most grim and unsettling music available. If nightmares scare you, I'd leave this one alone. This is a ride on a hellbound train. Just be glad you can get back by just switching your CD player off - I hope.
From the highly adventurous Electroshock Records label in Russia comes a recording featuring the combined efforts of electro-acoustic ambient/ilbient artist Artemiy Artemiev and synthesist/guitarist Peter Frohmader. Space Icon covers all kinds of superb musical ground. Featuring high octane guitar and guitar loops over a bed of synths and percussion effects, spacy synth washes, serene soundscapes, and dark moody atmospheric trips into the shadows. This is heady stuff, but it's also a most rewarding listening experience. The nineteen-minute title cut features electric guitar, heavily reverbed, looping and jumping and circling around a variety of rhythmic and arrhythmic percussion effects. Underneath is a current of synthesizers that flows like a river of dark night. However, the piece itself is more musical than you might imagine. The two or three guitar parts color the song with flashes of iridescent light as the notes and chords flash and streak across the inky sky. As the song winds along, spacy synth notes zap with laser-like immediacy. Can you tell I like this song? "Mir" is an deep ambient drifting piece fueled by high-end (almost church organ-sounding) keyboards and a mysterious wind effect. A beautiful but sad melody line plays on a solitary keyboard as midtempo percussive effects enter the song. The drifting elements of the song are counterpointed by these percussion textures and the underlying washes lend the piece an overall disturbing air. This is an imaginative deep space cut with combinations of textures I have never heard brought together before. Heralded by what sounds like a distorted bell-like tone, "Channeling" features dark ambient synthesizers and assorted odd instrumentation (bent bass notes, metal scraping noises, percolating synths) while in the deep background of the song is what can only be described as the footsteps of someone walking down a dark hallway. These bizarre synth effects are juxtaposed with, of all things, harp-like notes. The result is some wild hybrid of the ethereal with the almost surreally organic. Liquid notes seem to hang in the air as the synths feel like they're oozing electro-organic energy. "Zen Garden" is simply gorgeous. Gongs (per the liner notes) and lush synth strings are matched with subtle but vaguely disquieting percussive effects that come and go. There is a deep feeling of contemplation with this cut, as befits the title, but the song is less serene than you might expect. Compared to the rest of this CD, the song comes across as peaceful, but it sure isn't new age music. It's music borne of a fading day's light. The album closes with the twenty-three minute "Cosmic Jungle" which is a dark ambient excursion into, well, a cosmic jungle. Keyboards hum and buzz, peculiar sounds seem to erupt out of nowhere. Was that a strange bird I just heard? What kind of insects are making those noises? Are those drums in the distance? Highly visualistic, this is a song to play in the dark and wait for the walls to come alive. Atmospheric as all get out, the song snakes along with subtly ever-changing rhythms and shadowy melody lines. Rivaling the more imaginative music from the "tribal" period of artists like Roach, Rich and O Yuki Conjugate, "Cosmic Jungle" is a trip up a rarely traveled river. Just as a river's banks slowly change in appearance as you head upstream, so too does the song inexorably shift and shimmer, from inviting one minute to harrowing the next. If dark ambient is your favorite genre, consider buying this CD for this cut alone. At about the halfway point of the song, the synth effects get more electronic and spacier and the organic feel to the song is replaced by a more "cosmic" vibe. You'll know it when you get there - trust me. Space Icon is as creative and interesting an ambient release as I expect I will hear this year. That it is also quite accessible is a testament to the artistic talents of Artemiy and Peter. This is an ambient recording to really sink your teeth into.
Russian electronic music artist, Artemiy Artemiev recording, Mysticism of Sound, is a moody, dark, and at times disturbing collection of ambient sound collages. Filled with moments of beauty and also terror, this is a CD for those who enjoy exploring the shadows where objects fade into blackness and the mind fills in the blanks. Using a vast array of equipment from Roland, Ensoniq, and Korg, among others, Artemiy weaves drifting minor chords and washes into a foreboding tapestry of noir images. The first song, "Pictures of I. Bosch and P. Bruegel" intermixes mournful synth choirs, muted bell-like tones, and smoky minor key synths, yielding the albums best cut. This is music with a subtle nightmarish quality, i.e. never out and out scary, but incredibly evocative and disturbing. The next song, "Mysticism of Sound, Part 1" is more abstract, crossing over into experimental musique concrete at times, with loud crashes, distorted high-pitched wails, and underlying dark washes of sound. This one is definitely not for the timid and stands toe-to-toe with seminal works in the dark ambient field, such as Stalker and Heresy . At over twenty-seven minutes long, the song begs to be played in a pitch-black room, as long as you have nerves of steel (personally, I wasn't up for it - my imagination is too vivid!). Other elements in the song include muffled and distorted dialogue that, at times, resembles the buzzing of angry insects! I'm sitting here with the lights on, typing this review, and I keep looking around for a malevolent force to sneak up on me from behind. "Cataclysms of the XX Century," the next song, goes even further afield than the previous song. Odd percussion effects (clangs, alien-sounding rhythms) and bizarre electronics slowly intermingle with an undercurrent of bass synths. Sometimes the music is jolting in its intensity (quite loud too!), as the strange electronic sounds flash into your mind's eye like a crimson bolt of lightning. This can only be described as true nightmare music, the kind of CD that one would expect to accompany a slow descent into insanity perhaps. By no means do I intend that as a criticism. However, in all honesty, while I appreciate how bold and adventurous this music is, it is way to dark and scary for me. I mean, this makes Stalker sound like a Jonn Serrie album! However, I love the way Artemiy layers these different textures. I'll bet on headphones this is a trip (and no, I wouldn't dream of listening to it that way!). The final song, "Mysticism of Sound, Part 2" is lighter than the first part, but is even more abstract, blending sometimes discordant and arrhythmic musical elements, like a strange theremin-like tone, synthetic buzzes, and assorted percussive effects. Dare I say it, this song could, I suppose, be viewed as whimsical, in a Twilight Zonish way. Maybe the dance of some crazed marionettes? Well, all I can say is that this recording is for all you people who think dark ambient is either too tame or too melodic. With the exception of the first cut, nothing here will calm you down - that's for sure. And, in my opinion, if you play this before sleeping, I hope you don't dream! |