 Surface
of Eceyon
"Dragyyn" CD
Strange
Attractors Audio House
Genres: drone rock, psyechedelic drone, ambient
Strange Attractors
PO Box 13007
Portland OR
97213-0007
USA
Jun 30 - Jul 6 2003 |
I
can still remember when Strange Attractors Audio House was a tiny
little thing, and Indieville was too. Back when we were still
experimenting with a frequently-malfunctioning banner and a highly
regrettable sidebar (the nightmares...), SAAH had just put out its
second release, Steffen Basho-Junghans' Inside, after a
brief flirtation with destructo-rock courtesy of The Lowdown.
They sent promo copies, I wrote reviews.
Gradually we both grew up, SAAH eventually releasing countless
legendary albums (I can still name them all by heart), and Indieville
growing out of its tired white-and-red-on-black format into this
newer, much spiffier layout.
Now, many years down the line, I'm reviewing the
label's fourteenth record, and I can say once again that they've got yet
another hit on their hands. Mediocrity isn't a word at the
Strange Attractors HQ, and nor is it with Surface of Eceyon,
whose perfectionism has not only crafted yet another doozy of a
record, the mystical Dragyyn, but has also warranted a slight
name change, adding a 'y' to what once was Surface of Eceon.
Taking an airy, drifting approach, much like they did on their
debut album, The King Beneath the Mountain, Surface of
Eceyon's new album is full of music that
will appeal to fans of Landing, Yume Bitsu, and Planetarium
Music, as well as psychedelic drone rock enthusiasts in
general. Things start off well right off the bat with the
powerful psychedelic guitar whirlwind of "Stolen Wind," but
the mood eventually slows down for the drifting, subdued "Council Is
Called," the perfect song to listen to in the dark.
"Over Land, Over Ice," meanwhile, is a ten minute plus epic
that will carry you over the edge into pure bliss. The album's
longest piece, however, is the last one, "Freeing the
Wind." Almost nineteen minutes in length, its mystic,
slow-moving song structure will positively move you. The
inclusion of a bit of electronic synth work buried under the
feedback-drenched guitar textures propels it to perfection. It
eventually picks up speed near the end, slowing down in the last
minute to let the
album close with the sound of the ocean.
The rest of Dragyyn follows in a similar manner, packed with
beautiful, layered psychedelic drone rock that is just as terrific as
that on Surface of Eceyon's last album. Love life.
89%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
6 songs, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
