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Massergy
Fire Opal
A Tenuous Hold of Reality at Best
Fire Opal is one of those albums that you put on and immerse yourself in the music. Trust me; you’re going to get lost. You’re going to drift along, maybe lose track of time, and eventually you will be better off for the experience. Fire Opal, the seven-track release from Massergy is ambient alchemy. Like gazing at a fire opal made of mineral, the music is mesmerizing, vivid, and enriching.
Massergy is the nom-de-synth of Eric Jensen. He taught himself music to honor his brother Adam’s work after he passed many years ago. It sounds to me like Eric has the chops. The music is atmospheric, but down to earth rather than from outer space. His topics are unpretentious, but interesting, as you will read and hopefully, hear. There aren’t a lot of semi-quavers, pops, and whistles in Massergy’s music. Just compositions that are naturally calming, highly textural, and convey a unique sense of buoyancy.
Vinesong launches the album with a swirling guitar motif. It has a gentle cadence to it; slow, solid, and soothing. Its resonance is warm to the senses. The music puts your body and mind at ease, making it receptive to what is to follow.
There are a trio of really long tracks on the album. The Shepherdess comes in at 10:46, Opal Fire at 17:17 and Cold White Smoke at a length of 17:57. Each one of these is an amazing journey in of itself. The Shepherdess is dreamy tones of bass and bells, electric guitar and synth organ. The melody becomes your guide, encouraging you to move on, go forward, and reach higher. Lunar Cinema is a perfect background score for the recent super moon. There is a brightness to the overall theme, but the languorous quality slows the internal clock allowing for meditation on any subject.
Cold White Smoke starts with an exhalation of sorts, as if the planet breathes in deeply and releases. We are cast away into a mist of hazy thoughts and blurred visions. The tune becomes more lively as it progresses, expanding, and churning about. It is more room for your imagination to play with, so carry on.
Can you feel color? Emotionally you can. On Fire Opal the reds and yellows are warm tones, the blues and greens are cool. The soft echoing voice comes and goes like a wraith. The title cut, Fire Opal is a sonic kaleidoscope. Just listen and you will hear sound taking shape, merging into itself, and coming out as something entirely different.
One of my favorites on the album is El Viajero, The Traveler. It is muted compared to other tracks on the recording, but there’s a wonderful sense of movement on this guitar infused piece. As I listened to it, it felt as if the landscape was passing by me making me the traveler.
The final cut is called La Extraña, The Strange. Deep bass, warm washes of sound, and a flowing background all combine into a song of primordial ponderings. There is a tinny, snapping percussion that acts as the heartbeat to it all.
In all of Massergy’s music there is a lot of subtext to be found. It’s not just good, flowing compositions. There’s a subliminal quality to the themes. Kudos to Massergy for finding in a dozen years for what many spend a lifetime looking. As I said, if you get lost, blame it on the music. Highly recommended ambience.
- R J Lannan, Artisan Music Reviews
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Vinesong | 3:20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Shepherdess | 10:23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lunar Cinema | 6:24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cold White Smoke | 17:56 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fire Opal | 17:17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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El Viajero | 5:24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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La Extraña | 9:24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
