Customer Reviews

Lilies

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Slow melodies and a smattering of Japanese samples gives this idm-type of electronic music an ornate and lush feeling. Its like the instantaneous, present moment of a blossom falling in the middle of an urban park. I only wish the album were a bit longer.

another fantastic release from uwe.. Austere yet engaging, a little more avant garde with some of the beats but I think that's a trend not unique to arovane. Artists have to mature somehow, they can't just rehash the same thing over and over that's boring. there's some good warm ambient here too but overall it is a b it "harder" than atol scrap. That's ok it's not for sleeping.

I'm more of a fan of Arovane's highly synthetic and beautifully fragile Icol Diston and Atol Scrap sound than the more organically pretty Tides and Lilies sound, although there is a touch of the former on this album. There are some decent tracks here but I'm ultimately a little disappointed by this effort, which is more pretty than it is artful. And man, I know it's a common and perhaps petty complaint, but where's the rest of the album? Some EPs are longer than this.

I want more art, Uwe.

Arovane continues his subtle contributions to the world of electronic music, this time in the form of LILIES. The opening track, "Ten Hours," finds Arovane exploring a more beatless creation while still incorporating his love of the harpsichord. "Windy Wish Trees" brings back the skittering rhythms and throws in some lonely piano notes to ring out over the almost Baroque chord progressions. "Cry Osaka Cry" is a little more typical IDM, but "Pink Lilies," with vocals both sung and spoken, goes that extra step that makes it stand out. And the title track, "Lilies," emphasizes that with its own sweeping beauty. "Toyko Ghost Stories" sounds as if it could have been a leftover track from TIDES, but "Instant Gods Out of the Box" throws the percussion right up front. "Goodbye Forever" returns to the tones that seem to sustain themselves right into infinity, followed by those piano keys. While not as breathtaking as TIDES, LILIES is still a fresh, sonic bouquet that will brighten up any home.

I count this alongside Radiohead's "Hail to the Thief" as the two best recordings I have purchased in the last five years. I LOVE Arovane, and this CD to me is his pinnacle performance. Atol Scrap is good too, but "Instant Gods Out of the Box" has to be one of my favorite electronic tracks ever. I highly recommend this record. I've heard people say that this is what Autechre should have ended up like...

If you like this, check out Múm. Good stuff.

By now it was becoming apparent that Arovane was a good enough electronic programmer to slightly irritate fans with shorter releases including filler tracks. We are still waiting for that definitive passing-of-the-torch disc it seems the artist is capable of emulating over many similar acts, but compelling snacks still taste better than bland meals.

Buying Atol Scrap was one of those impulse purchases that introduced me to this wonderful music that I could listen to over and over again and appreciate it more each time.

So when Arovane came out with another album, buying it was a no brainer, or so I thought. This music is so different from and inferior to Atol Scrap that I'm having a hard time listening to the album for the first time, without wanting to change the cd. It is all so blah, like elevator music.

So, chances are if you liked Atol Scrap, and you want more of the same, this is not it, don't waste your money.