There Is Something
By
Anantakara
Written by
Steve Sheppard
I have been following and writing about the music of Anantakara for some 4 years now, it all
started back with an album called Momentum
Lapses, a release I simply adored, but now with this brand new offering I
think I may have come across some of the finest work that the artist has thus
far created, and entitled There is
Something.
This journey of sight and sound begins with the very first
moment of brilliance entitled Orpheus
Walk, the natural sounds of water describe for me a cave like waterfall,
and the gentle progression of electronic based music performed by the artist
here is without doubt some of the most outstanding work created by him, and a
piece on its own merits that also has a little crossover classical element
entwined within too.
This moment of wonderment is followed up by the piece You Are Not Alone, a track with a
slight meditative feel to it, an added sense of mystery and imagination also
manifests a whole new level of intrigue and fascination into the mix as well.
What is so very appealing about this album is that it forces you to sit and
listen to each and every second shared by the artist, it is so incredibly
inventive.
Magnitudes is our next track location and
another piece that creates a sense of electronic craft and guile. Here is also
an offering that due to its repetitive energies brings into reality a mood of
movement and travel. The tones created here by the artist and the presentation
contained within is sparkling, radiant, and brilliantly produced.
The longest piece off the album is a track entitled That Inner Voice; it contains some of
the most haunting yet almost angelic vocals to begin its eventual and slow
transformation, and onward and into a wonderfully classy electronic music
offering. The build and progression here is smart, intelligent and wonderfully
arranged, this is a piece I thoroughly enjoyed and would like to call it my
special moment of magical musical coalescence.
At the midway marker we come across a truly dark yet enticing
composition called Temptation Of
Melancholy, here is something heavy and incredibly moody, and I would
suggest that the old maxim of it does what it says on the can comes into play
here. One can feel the temptation through performance structure and how easy it
is to allow oneself to fall into a pit of darkness, in what is a crafted and
artistic presentation by the artist.
The meditative qualities of this next piece really shine
brightly on the offering Toward Clarity;
this would be another personal favourite of mine, much ambience can be felt
here, but also the artist manifests a change occurring within his sublime
creation. The listener will also be able to touch a sense of awareness here,
one that will perhaps lead to moment of clarity from being very present and in
the moment, as listeners, you will find yourself listening for each and every
sound to come, which in some way proves my aforementioned postulation.
The title track is always a great opportunity to expand and
explain the entire concept of the album, and on There Is Something the artist does just that, the energy is raised
slightly, but the repeating motifs and slow builds and textures, bring to the
seeker a mood of satisfaction and tranquillity, the presentation of electronic
wizardry here is not simply clever, it is incredibly well thought out and
intelligently performed, and at times reminded me a little of John Carpenter.
Grateful Soul is a wonderful respite of tone and
inner realities to completely enjoy, the harmonic vocalisations and slow
progressive ambience on keyboards are blissfully balanced. This I would dare to
say is a specific arrangement that would be brilliantly placed into a fantasy
segment of a movie, the vocals are ethereal and time seems to just drift by
whilst in this moment of sublime oneness.
The penultimate offering of this quite superb album is now
upon us and entitled Strange Feeling Of
Grace, there is a slight elevation of energy here, and the construction of
an electronic ambience and minimalism can also be felt in this expertly
manifested last but one composition, I felt the electronic presence here of a
multitude of directions, in a piece that would literally be ideal to leave on
repeat for a circular journey of musical pleasure.
We now bring to conclusion the album with a relatively short
arrangement entitled A Sense Of Freedom,
and for the first time we sense an energy of a more New Age styled creation,
and hovering within the weave of the piece is a mood of renewal and growth, one
must applaud the musician for his inventive and creative intelligence to leave
the release with a composition of rejuvenation and fresh perspective.
There Is Something by Anantakara is with ease the best work thus far by the artist, he
has taken his thoughts and allowed them to grow and expand and create an album
of music that is both very easy to listen to, but also brings such serenity and
focus into the mix as well. There Is
Something by Anantakara is an
album that fans of expressive and artistic electronic music will utterly love,
and for those who are unsure of the genre, the best place to start.
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