Eastern Twin

Martin Tillman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 26, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder / Umgd
• ASIN: B00004YLPP
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #246,332 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Odessa

2. Nothing on My Mind

3. Amadeus on the Nile

4. Eastern Twin

5. Close to Water

6. Ceremony

7. Trans Mojave

8. 7 Saris

9. Rue Sibeluis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sexy, Deep..., May 8, 2003

By 

benjamin (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eastern Twin (Audio CD)

I must admit that I bought this CD on a whim; any CD with a Coptic Orthodox monk traversing desert terrain with two suns in the background must be, at the very least, interesting. What I was not expecting, however, was a CD that I would still be listening to almost daily 2.5 years later. In short, this is one of the best CDs I have bought in the last 2.5 years.

The cello on this CD is just plain *sexy*. It reverberates with depth; it caresses with care. It moves like molasses and is sweet to the last drop. If this CD is any indication of his talent, then Tillman is a true virtuoso. Behind the cello is a blend of middle eastern grooves and melodies that really do engage the listener. Tillman does not accept cheesy samples; this is the real deal.

I do wish to note just briefly the songs "Amadeus on the Nile" and "Rue Sibeluis". (No, I do not know where he gets the name for some of these songs.) The solo in "Amadeus..." is almost redemptive feeling to me; there is something about the break in which it takes place that simply whispers of Presence. And "Rue..." is just beautiful. It is rugged, yet simply gorgeous; the cello is, again, deep. I could listen to it for hours (and sometimes do!).

This CD has a depth and rugged beauty that far surpasses anything else that I have bought in the past few years. Highly, highly recommended.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entrancing - liberating!, December 9, 2001

By 

Alex (College Park, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eastern Twin (Audio CD)

To Black Cat and like-minded listeners: I am sincerely sorry if you were under the impression that this was a collection of instrumental pieces. If I had to identify the dominant character of "Eastern Twin," I would call it a fusion showcase. Styles melt and run together, wave after wave of percussive synthesizer effects assault the listener, until there are no individual instruments or even sounds - there is only a raging river of music. Tillman's arrangements are heavy yet bouyant (the pounding rhythms of "Nothing on My Mind" resolving into lilting radiance come to mind), massive yet pliant (the turbulent, obsessive parts of "TransMojave" float up from memory), breathy and rasping (like the windy acoustics of the intro to the title piece), but also languid and melodious (as, for example, the fantastic vocals in "7 Saris"). Acoustic cello and electric guitar monodies are driven and jagged, the piano in "Amadeus on the Nile" and elsewhere is pure noir, while the percussion - instrumental and otherwise - summons up imagery that is ominous, phantasmagorical, and yet liberating. Simultaneously reading a dark urban fantasy, I found many similarities - also, this is absolutely the one CD one cannot fall asleep to, so I finished the book quicker than usual! One of the very few critical comments I feel qualified to make is that at times pieces lack individuality. Nonetheless, I sat spellbound from start to finish. A fantastic way to clear the mind.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cellist records an ambient orchestral outing., July 21, 2001

By 

"musicnu" (Deerfield, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Eastern Twin (Audio CD)

Martin Tillman is a cellist of the first order. He uses the cello as his main instrument and surrounds it with an ambient backdrop of synthesized instrumentation. Tillman's use of drum loops and bass lines make the CD have a more rock feel while at the same time capturing a eastern flavor. This CD could be a movie soundtrack capturing mood through a lush musical landscape.