Customer Reviews

Graveyard Mountain Home

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Let's start with the beautiful packaging of Chroma Key's third album Graveyard Mountain Home. While I generally prefer regular jewel cases with booklets, I had to pick up the limited edition of this album due to the bonus DVD. After all, it's this movie, Age 13 (an old 1950's film), that inspired Kevin. Anyway, the packaging of the album is very velvety and it unfolds into four 'pages'. The regular album is on one side and the DVD is on the other. The other two 'pages' contain lyrics, song credits and the thank-you section. It's really beautiful.

Kevin Moore's previous work, as you may know, was the soundtrack of a Turkish movie called OKUL, and it was released also through InsideOut with the title Ghost Book. If you listened to that soundtrack and enjoyed (parts) of it, then you are bound to like GMH for sure. Kevin Moore is the epitome of moving forward and surprising his listeners, so don't expect any song-oriented albums like Dead Air for Radios or You Go Now. GMH is an expansive exploration of Moore's deep interest in movies and soundtracks. Obviously he wants to explore this part of music at the moment and he reminds me of the Norwegian band Ulver in this respect. Ulver started out as a raw Black Metal act before turning into a folk-inspired band and finally moving into electronical music and doing soundtracks for cult movies. Kevin seems to enjoy a nomadic way of life and he travels a lot. All three CK albums were written in different countries (USA, Costa Rica and Turkey) and Kevin always successfully implemented musical elements of these particular places into the mold of his songcraft. The cultural climax presented on GMH easily gives itself away. It flounders somewhere between East and West and Kevin does a perfect job reflecting the harmonious chaos of Istanbul, where he now resides. The strange yet almost addictive atmosphere of this city is delicately captured in songs like "Before You Started" with an almost wicked jazz drumming and "Andrew Was Drowning His Stepfather" with rainstorm sample added in the mix along with the call of prayer. It is a given that the experience of scoring a film inspired Kevin to take a similar yet more profound approach for GMH.

The album heading in a sountrack-oriented ambient direction may bring to mind that there are less musical moments on it than the previous two CK releases. This is not off, however I believe Kevin opted to employ minimalism in his writing this time, as opposed to re-visiting his previous efforts. Moreover the writing is very strong and enhanced with lots of acoustic guitars over delicately fragile layers of claustrophobic moments that seem to make a lot more sense within the context of the movie. That said, I never saw the movie of Ghost Book, yet I loved Kevin's attitude on it. Same goes for GMH. The two most song-based tracks on this disc would be the title track (albeit too short) and "Sad Sad Movie". Bilge Akdeniz who sang on Ghost Book also appears on one track: "True and Lost". The rest of the compositions carry the trademark Kevin Moore sound with various added samples, electronic soundscapes, spoken parts with Russian accents (must be because of the movie) and traces of other textures we could only expect from Kevin Moore. The album is characterized by an ambiguous mood -- it's not terribly depressing or sad, but quite reflective and somber all the time. That's one thing I love about Kevin; his music never depresses you. It always has an uplifting moment hidden somewhere in the music that carries you along and gives you the opportunity to have a mysterious glimpse into another life (the little boy in the movie in this case). His mixing repeating piano melodies with static surface noise and a few loops here and there have become integral parts of his writing. With GMH, however, he has broadened his vision considerably and created something not even the biggest Kevin Moore fan could have expected.

Graveyard Mountain Home/GMH is Kevin Moore's latest Chroma Key/CK wonder. Picture an educational film from 1955 with music from today. A wild idea, maybe. But for musician Moore this is just a way to push the envelope as an artist. Not to be tied-down into a certain musical genre, his band's evolution is very satisfying here. This is an interpretation, of sorts, featuring tunes that seemed befitting as an "alternate soundtrack to go with the film (AGE 13, 1955)" says Moore. For the GMH special edition purchase, a DVD of Age 13 with the CK music is included. The feel throughout is moody & slow, yet its reason lies in the point of the story. A tale of grief through acceptance marked by feelings of isolation which lead ultimately to the fruition of hope. "Before You Started" is an experimental work of art which includes a jazz vibe set to an off-tempo beat and Moore's one-of-a-kind lyrics. Check out "Come In, Over" for this disc's finest hour. For the lighter fare, spin "White Robe" or "True and Lost". All in all, this cd is awesome but so is Kevin Moore. Just don't forget, Moore is set to tour with this release. Be ready and snag all 3 Chroma Key recordings today! Prog is King has an opinion but is absolutely wrong. For more info visit the CK site now at http://www.ChromaKey.com
~sknow

On this, the latest Chroma Key release, Kevin Moore has outdone himself. An album full of emotion, incredible sound sampling and surprises bound to entice the listener into the a world of heartache, yearning and pure determination, GMH is the perfect addition to any CD collection.

I recommend purchasing this edition as the DVD of 'Age 13', the 1955 movie that formed the base of GMH, is included with the alternate soundtrack written by Kevin Moore. Following the movie with GMH playing gives the listener a real insight into the story behind the music and what Moore was trying to portray in the creation of this album. And believe me, he has done a very good job of it. Every action, every feeling within the movie has been captured in music and represented with a variety of sound samples, deceptively simple rhythms and even a monologue on track 8 (Human Love).

Although this album is quite different from the previous Chroma Key releases, it is a classic example of the sheer brilliance that is Kevin Moore. A definite MUST BUY!

Every Chroma Key project is a landmark in itself. They cannot be compared with each other. So the first thing I will do is comparte this one with the others. This piece is UNIQUE. Certainly, unique. Kevin Moore's creativity tops the charts with this record. If you happen to like the adventurous roads that Chroma Key is willing to pave, you will love this album. I didn't got the DVD edition, but you can download the video for free. Take a look at it using this album as background. You will then understand Moore's brilliance as a composer.

creative and expressive musical compositions of various forms predominately electronic but also incorporating interesting and subtle use of acoustic and non-synth sounds and beats. like a mix of bonobo, her space holiday, devics, squarepusher, and all such artists in a soundtrack tapestry. at times the mood is abrupt in between pieces that seem a bit sudden and whimsical. yet they all seem to be of the same family. i only wish there were more of Kevin Moore's clever and solemn lyric and voice as it gives the music that added dimension.

notice i didn't mention crap like Fates Warning, OSI and Dream Theater above - no relation at all. good.

Having no experience with Chroma Key before and precious little experience with the music of Dream Theater, I had no real idea what to expect when I bought Graveyard Mountain Home. I don't remember who recommended it and why I even decided to try it, so I came to this with absolutely no points of comparison. Sometimes that's good. I've read some of the other reviews that express disappointment that Graveyard Mountain Home is not more like Dream Theater or more like a previous Chroma Key recording. Well, it is what it is, and when it stands alone, it isn't too bad despite being made as an add-on soundtrack for a 1950s social guidance film that is really quite bizarre.
This of course is not going to be for everyone. The music is very atmospheric and the film somewhat depressing, almost disturbing. I find it is best listened to while watching the DVD.
Some of the music has a new age feel to it, some very eerie, but some of it is strangely beautiful. My favorites are Salvation, Human Love, the soothing piano sequence in Pure Laughter, and Sad, Sad Movie. And the film called "Age 13" has sparked an interest in social guidance films.
Though Graveyard Mountain Home will never top my playlist, it will find an occasional place in my CD rotation. If you are one who sometimes enjoys music and movies that are somewhat outre', then this just may be a CD for you.

Graveyard Mountain Home/GMH is Kevin Moore's latest Chroma Key/CK wonder. Picture an educational film from 1955 with music from today. A wild idea, maybe. But for musician Moore this is just a way to push the envelope musically as an artist. Not to be tied-down into a certain musical genre, his band's evolution is very satisfying here. This is an interpretation of tunes that seemed befitting as an "alternate soundtrack to go with the film (AGE 13, 1955)" says Moore. For the GMH special edition purchase, a DVD of Age 13 with the CK music is included. The feel throughout is moody & slow, yet its reason lies in the point of the story. A tale of grief through acceptance marked by feelings of isolation which lead ultimately to the fruition of hope. "Before You Started" is an experimental work of art which includes a jazz vibe set to an off tempo beat and Moore's punchy lyrics. Check out "Come In, Over" for this disc's finest hour. For the lighter fare, spin "White Robe" or "True and Lost". This cd is awesome but so is Kevin Moore. Just don't forget, Moore is set to tour with this release. Be ready and snag all 3 Chroma Key recordings today! Prog is King has an opinion but is absolutely wrong. For more info visit the CK site now at http://www.ChromaKey.com
~sknow

When I picked up Dream Theater's "Change of Season's cd, I noticed that Kevin Moore was no longer playing with the band. This bummed me out, because Space Dye Vest was one of my favorite songs on the Awake album. So I tried to find out if he was in any new bands, and heard that he had started Chroma Key. However, at the time I didn't own a computer and really didn't have any way of accessing his music. Well fastforward 10 years and I heard more about Chroma Key online. I then looked up what I could get off of sights like Rhapsody(crapsody!), and downloaded You Go Now and Dead Air For Radios. Really loved the experimental qualities of the 2. Must be my affinity to early Pink Floyd. Anyway, after buying and listening to Graveyard Mountain Home, I am convinced that Kevin Moore is and has been onto something big.The sublime moments on this album coupled with the surreal movie footage, make for an enthralling and disturbing offering.It's unordinary and thought-provoking which is what art is supposed to be. Looking forward to hearing more from Moore.

If you're a music lover in the pure sense this is a must. Not only the recording and packaging is different, the ingenuity of the music itself is breathtaking. It is brilliant, refreshing and even exciting to some extent. This is absolutely no album for the fainthearted.

At first, Graveyard Mountain Home threw me for a loop. Where were the melancholic grooves? Where were the pop-sensibilities? Where were all the vocal tracks that had defined Chroma Key? GMH was a complete 180 in a different direction. Then I found out what my problem was: I was going into this release with expectations - which isn't fair to Kevin Moore.

Compared to the two previous Chroma Key releases, this is a new chapter in his catalogue. He's pushed the textural and layered bits of You Go Now and Dead Air For Radios to the forefront, with audios depths that are haunting, comforting and awe inspiring. There's no emphasis on virtuosity and anything connected to prog (which terrifies most Dream Theatre fans who take a listen). The focus is on soundscapes, which makes GMH one of the best headphone albums of the past ten years.

As the soundtrack to the film, Age 13, the album's central concept revolves around a boy who tries to reconnect with his mother who has just passed away. Echoing this time of confusion and denial in this boy's life, Moore has composed pieces that reflect the emotional journey of this narrative. Tracks like "Mother's Radio" can break you down with the dark emotionalism threaded within the dark synth and echo-laden instrumentation that pulses throughout. Bordering on space music (in the ambient sense), Moore's layering continues to be a central focus, even in tracks like the upbeat "Before You Started."

There are not many vocal pieces in GMH, however, "Sad Sad Movie" is perhaps Moore's best piece to date. If it doesn't make your knees tremble, and raise goosebumps on your arm, nothing else will.

GMH is far from all things defined; it's not prog, it's not O.S.I. and it's not like previous Chroma Key releases. Moore is cursed with the fact everything he does gets compared to DT, so to criticize this release for being `abstract' and `exploratory' is to negate the fact that this is something new and brilliant. This is headphone music that is at the forefront of all things new, and it's a damn fine addition to anyone's music collection - if they have an open mind.