SATURN FORM ESSENCE / ARVORAR "Ancient space"
Drone ambient from Ukraine / Dark Ambient from Brasil. 100 copies.

Arvorar
01. Transitoriedade 7.51

Saturn Form Essence
02. Ancient Space 5.31

A
quick post today to discuss a short - but nonetheless excellent -
release on the prolific Depressive Illusions label. This tape features
our old favourites SFE (as ever, piloted by the enigmatic S.) and a new
band for me: Arvorar from Brazil.

The limited
information I have on this latter band (mostly gleaned from their
MySpace site) shows that they are most typically described as a 'dark
ambient' formation. That description - broad brush as it is - serves to
give sufficient information to identify a likely style of song on this
release. And indeed, some Vinterriket-esque opening synthesised
sequences pave the way to a really fine song, crafted over a background
noise of crashing waves and sounds of the ocean, and with an interesting
mixture of up-tempo percussion and some nifty keyboard riffs. The end
of the song, swathed in silence with that gentle sound of crashing
waves, is a very enjoyable experience.

I think it fair
to say that the most appropriate complement I can give Arvorar is that
I've thoroughly enjoyed their song on this release and will now actively
seek out other recordings of theirs.

The SFE song
'Ancient Space' is very short by the usual standards of the band, but
lacks nothing in quality or enjoyability for all that. Rather than draw
out the track with epic expanses of near-silence or a recreation of the
vacuum of space, there is quite a lot going on with its five and a half
minute duration for the listener to get a handle on. Interesting wind
effects and enigmatic keyboard impulses start proceedings off well, and a
moody sense of foreboding and mystery slowly envelops you as the song
progresses.

The cover artwork on this tape is rather excellent too, as I hope the photographs at the top of this post will illustrate.

For
two bands on either side of the globe to collaborate this successfully
is an excellent achievement: whilst both stare out into the abyss
looking through very different night skies based on their hemispheres of
origin, the unmistakable kinship of ambient art unites them together in
a triumphant release.