Customer Reviews

Ocean Fire

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I would suggest the previous reviewer has a bit of a limited view of beauty. This is the beauty of a rock wall jutting out of the landscape -- it may be exposed and raw and stark, but it is also a bit weathered, and sublime.

Formerly available only as an import, this CD is now out in a reasonably priced domestic edition. The tracks on this Willits/Sakamoto collaborative project lack melodic structure, and are not "beautiful," but they have a stark sort of grandeur upon repeated listenings. With short titles such as "Cold Heat," the sound pieces feature sustained guitar and synth tones layered with various electronic effects. At times they can be as pleasant as the random, overlapping notes of chimes or bells. At others, experiencing them can border on the discomfort of hearing a drill or other noisesome machinery. Fortunately the pleasant moments outweigh the uncomfortable ones. It would be relatively pointless for me to describe these tonal segments individually, as they are all minor variations on the same basic sound concepts. Some have more static-y overlays and more distortion; others have more calm synth and electric guitar tones. It's all in a similar vein to some of the more experimental Eno installation music, or perhaps like Fripp's soundscapes.