As Seen Through Windows

Bell Orchestre, Bell Orchestre | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 10, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arts & Crafts
• ASIN: B001PPGLCU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,851 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Bell Orchestre was born in an old dance studio in central Montreal, Quebec. The music grew out of collective improvisations played alongside contemporary dancers. When the band parted ways with the dancers, the music continued to evolve and exude unique, intangible physical qualities. Their mostly instrumental compositions tap into the acoustic delicacy of chamber music, the urgency and volume of post punk and rock, and the intricacy and sonic range of contemporary electronic music.

Often drawing comparisons to film music, perhaps this band is not so much creating the soundtracks to movies, but rather inventing a musical meeting place for a century's worth of city ghosts, weather patterns and shifting architecture. The Bell Orchestre is made of strings, bells, horns, drums, stethoscopes, samples and quiet noise. Their live performances soothe, excite and soar.Bell Orchestre makes non-traditional music that tries to push boundaries, both those of the spectator and our own. The band often credits Estonian composer Arvo Pärt as one of their many influences. In reality, the ensembles music is shifting within intuition, drawing inspiration from the environmental sounds of the world.

Bell Orchestre's debut album, Recording a Tape the Colour of the Light, was released in 2005. The record garnered glowing reviews and was nominated for a Juno Award for "Best Instrumental Album". On March 10, 2009, Arts & Crafts will release their anticipated followup, As Seen Through Windows. The band intend to spend much of early 2009 on the road, enraputuring audiences with their dynamic, soaring performances.

Bell Orchestre is:
Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire) - upright bass /keyboard / percussion
Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire) - violin
Stefan Schneider (Jorane, Luyas) - drums / percussion
Pietro Amato (Luyas) - French horn / electronics
Kaveh Nabatian - trumpet / melodica
Mike Feuerstack (snailhouse) - lap steel guitar

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Sophomore Slump, August 5, 2011

By 

Robert Carlberg (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: As Seen Through Windows (Audio CD)

Bell Orchestre's first effort "Recording a Tape the Colour of Light" was about 2/3 excellent, with some really innovative composing and sound contruction. The other third tended toward unlistener-friendly process music where the result took a back seat to the process.

Well, sorry to say their second CD is all of the latter and almost none of the former. There is a lot of formless mucking about, and some truly heinous racketing, and way too much stuff that sounds like Philip Glass (i.e. process music).

It ain't good when I start checking "time remaining" during the first play-through, and abort during the last track. I'll give it a few more spins this weekend to see if it grows on me, but I'm not holding out much hope.