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4 tracks. Running time 4:59:21
Here's another one of Oenyaw's mp3 CDs containing several hours of minimalist ambience. The artist's goal on all his albums has been to create music that isn't meant to gain the listener's full attention, but to dip in and out of. This mode of listening certainly suits the work since concentrated listening would only be for the stout hearted – most tracks are tens of minutes long, and the final one is over 140 minutes! Guitar is the primary instrument on Oenyaw's albums, though it's far from obvious – I originally thought it was synthesiser or computer generated. It's apparent that the sounds are manipulated though. It could be described as micro music in that the interest is in small and subtle details rather than normal musical structures. At a casual level it all sounds rather homogeneous, like a fair amount of other drone based long form ambience. In the opening piece “Abbadon's Key Ring” hard edged tones sparkle and slew about like metal on metal. The pitch and timbre of the tones vary slowly throughout, to the point that the differences between sections in the track become more pronounced. Sonically one might think of it as slowly ascending or descending a hill. The most engaging track is “Mammon Spake”. By far the easiest on the ear it has a delicate demeanour as notes ripple like contemplative thoughts or feelings and bass notes gently hit the soundscape. During the track's progression the mood and sounds become deeper for a short while then it fades peacefully and gradually to an end. For me Why Would Heaven Have a Gate? provides only curiosity interest because, like Oenyaw's other albums, it's simply too intense and long. Having said that, “Mammon Spake” is one piece which is more listeneable than most at hints at better things to come. |