Driftwood [Import]

Rena Jones | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Native State Records
• ASIN: B000GIWTK0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,948 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

For some reason, cellists--more than any other classical instrumentalists--seem drawn to electronica. Recent CDs by Zoe Keating, Jami Sieber, Hans Christian (Rasa), and Gretchen Yanover find cellists riding electronica atmospheres. Rena Jones is a bit different from most of them. They use electronics to extend their cellos' range and sound. Jones plants her cello next to her laptop in fractalized grooves. Driftwood is an entrancing album that's as much about Jones's translucent laptop compositions as her gifts on cello, guitar, violin, and clarinet. But all those instruments give her music a different feel from many laptop jockeys. Compositions like "Photosynthesis" and "Driftwood" have an almost classical flow, as her strings and clarinet articulate Arvo Pärt-like lines of liquid inevitability while rhythms pulse, shudder, and ping through the melodies. But it's not all airy on Driftwood. "Open Me Slowly" finds her plucking a cello bass line with a funky grit you can't get with a computer sample. Rena Jones's soulful cello lines lend her music a somber tone and soulful beauty, which is all the more striking when cast against her chromium-plated arrangements. The combination makes Driftwood intoxicating. --John Diliberto

Product Description

Driftwood weaves together tuneful electroinca with violin and cello music to a haunting, memorable and beautiful effect. Making enchanted and edgy beat-works to disappear off into. It never tries to be musically difficult, it just slides along smooth as silk, making wonderful chill out music, that will sooth away the days stressers and strains.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tantalizing Textures, Dreamy Flow, and Chewy Deep Grooves!, September 12, 2006

By 

Jaya Sat Kriya (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Driftwood (Audio CD)

This journey is one to chew on for sure. Just when I think I have the Rena Jones style pegged, she goes and changes shape again! To be sure, her soaring heart-string melodies can be found here like the previous albums. In Driftwood the strings melt and meld with wind instruments, other-worldly mysterious and emotional electronics soundscapes, and textured crunky intelligent psy-juicy beats. The key word that sets apart Driftwood is refinement. What a clean, beautiful sound! One song transitions into the other to provide a true musical "story."

I am lost and engrossed at the same time while listening. You can put it on, turn the lights down low, meditate, and take off with the tonal swirls floating by. (the sound is like the cd artwork, fractal journeys of drifting earth tones) You can also take a long road trip and let it play over and over. You can dance all night, then bring in the ecstatic new day to these tunes. You can make love to this yummy music!

Thanks Rena for working so hard for this third album, your dedication is obvious and deserves standing ovations and higest accolades!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Soothing Ambient Album, November 9, 2007

By 

Winslow Bunny "Winslow_Bunny" (Rockledge, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Driftwood (Audio CD)

"Driftwood" is an album written, produced, recorded and played by Rena Jones. Her work has resulted in delightfully soothing, relaxing instrumental music - slow music for fast times, indeed. I found the best cuts to be in the middle, such as "Photosynthesis," "Driftwood" and "Open Me Slowly," but all songs seemed to be polished and produced to bring out the mental image of the music flowing over me. "Driftwood" is a delightful weaving of orchestral instuments into electronica, resulting in a wonderful ambient album.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic..., February 12, 2011

By 

Anoni (Longview, Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Driftwood (Audio CD)

This album is superb. Rena is one of the most highly regarded producers of this genre (electro-acoustic). Her strings are fantastic- if you love strings like cellos and violins, but don't really care for the classical school of them, then this is for you. It's sort of like shpongle mixed with Tycho and a hint of Jamie Watts. This cd is very down-tempo and very real... there's just no other way to describe it.