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Artist: Coyote Oldman Reviews:
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Unlike their last release, the superb Floating on Evening, which was a comparatively drastic departure from the norm, this release from the flute duo of Barry Stramp and Michael Graham Allen, is a return to their established sound. This is not a bad thing. The sound of Coyote Oldman, characterized by haunting wooden flutes and pan pipes, massaged by innovative studio techniques, is a wonder to hear. Beautiful beyond describing, possessed of an almost surreal serenity yet without a trace of phony sentimentality, this recording joins the other releases in their catalog (such as Compassion, In Medicine River, and others) as a paean to reflective and meditative music of the soul. All of the songs are slow, patient exercises in smoky wafting flute textures, accentuated by echoing and sonic manipulations, the likes of which are singular in this industry. This is primal emotion territory and both Barry and Michael are expert guides into primordial memory terrain. They are easily one of the most dependable artists recording today when it comes to delivering exceptional quality recordings, time and again. House Made of Dawn is evidence of that. Indispensable for new and old fans alike, and likewise highly recommended for those seeking truly mystical and ultimately relaxing music of a pure and crystaline nature.
Very few artists can be relied upon to produce solid work each and every time. Coyote Oldman is one of those elite few. The duo of flutist (and flute-maker) Michael Graham Allen and studio wizard Barry Stramp have released one great recording after another (my personal favorite is Compassion which I consider an essential work in this field). With their latest, Floating on Evening: Songs from Otter River, their music heads in (what is for them) a decidedly different, albeit subtly so, direction. For the most part, the deep space recording techniques that made "just" flutes seem like a whole bank of smooth ambient synthesizers are gone. Barry Stramp, the man responsible for the incredible layered studio effects on past recordings, has assumed the role of mixing and mastering the disc. As a result, Michael's wooden flutes are distilled to their essence. New to the mix is the addition of acoustic piano and acoustic guitar, courtesy of Horace Williams. Over half the songs are still naked flute or whistle, and as such may be instantly recognizable to Coyote Oldman fans. The cuts that feature piano or guitar are wonderfully evocative&emdash;Williams is a perfect fit with Allen. "Families" is an excellent example. The piano and flute are serene and float on the wind with a hint of wistfulness, even sadness. Ditto the guitar and flute of "Wrapped in Dusk," which moves at a very slight uptempo pace, but minor key guitar lends an air of mystery to the song. "Flowing Mirror" features the trademark Oldman sound, i.e., multi-tracked flute, subtly reverbed, to produce some truly haunting ambiance. Surely, this signature Coyote Oldman oeuvre ranks up there with Roach's desert tribal rhythms, Vangelis' lush orchestrations, and Serrie's deep space drifts, as seminal music in this field. When I first heard Coyote Oldman's music, I attributed a certain amount of Native American influence to it. Not only has my opinion changed on that, but this recording features little or none of such textures. Unless you think that the wood flute is always inherently Native American, Floating on Evening is more of an acoustic ambient work, albeit one that is best appreciated through direct listening, rather than playing it in the background. No matter which way you play it, though, it's another solidly enjoyable (and delightfully different at times) release from Coyote Oldman. |