Various - Mouvements - Compilation Européenne download free

Despite the fact that this album has 10 very different and unique artists/groups contributing tracks to it, it’s a surprisingly ‘together’ CD. And not only that, but it is probably the most ‘Internal-Image-Provoking’ recording I have ever heard! If each of these artists contributed tracks to a follow-up disc, I wonder whether it would be half as good as this.The Disc opens with the immense "Le Futur Abyssal” by UN DRAME MUSICAL INSTANTANE - ten minutes of the most strange & imaginative noise-Jazz - opening with the creaking of a ship about to be wrecked on the ice-encrusted rocks, where the winds blow white surf, whales sing of impending death and brave, hungry wolves wait patiently. And among the creak of the ice floes, spirit-sailors sing the memories of the far East they left behind. We then dwell it a place of spikes and stalactites, of horns which sparkles and scampers like some huge hunting spider to the end. The next track is "Gulf War Part 3” by MUSLIMGAUZE, a meandering, spatial work leaning heavily on percussion in a myriad shapes, forms and tones. Certain other instruments appear, but are less for tune than for colour - sax, perhaps a little guitar, and whatever causes the background hum which carpets beneath MUSLIMGAUZE’s relentless - yet atmospheric - percussion onslaught. Next up is "HigH Dynamic NO! FUNction" by CRANIOCLAST, which has a fairly ‘normal’ structure - ie. continuous drum patterns, bassy synth/guitar patterns over which all manner of sound is thrown. They put treated vocals to the far back of the mix to form a texture over/under the other instruments. A slow piece of music with approachable form. "Karma Finanz” by ASMUS TIETCHENS is the next track, and is the shortest offering here, clocking in at 3'25”. It reminds me (as I am often known to write) of something off the first two DOME albums - grey, indistinct noises form a staggering, yet controlled rhythm over which strange wire-thin sounds scrawl their spider-signature noise. “Shamrock” by DE FABRIEK is next and is the only track on the entire CD which truly disturbs the overall atmosphere - it’s just a wall of white swirling noise which finally, after two minutes, succumbs to a much more interesting rhythm which throbs and hums, crashes and cracks in a state of advanced distortion, without actually falling into pure noise. Heard as one single track this is not so wonderful, but "Made In Germany", the limited edition CD (find review elsewhere) is well worth seeking out, To follow this, BRUME give us "Red Shift Infiltration” - something a lot more commercial than the single CD reviewed below - this track is an atmospheric piece over which machine-like drum patterns loop around the drifting sounds. Towards the end other things enter the arena of sound - found voice, trumpet sounds, and further percussion - adding to this track's atmosphere again. It finally dissolves into shapelessness which drags it onwards to it’s conclusion with all manner of sound. The track which follows this is called "Decompression” by VRISCHIKA, a tightly-bunched sound, not unlike some form of Jazz with it’s snickering percussion, uncertain bassline. jittering pan pipes, all of which eventually collapse into something else - a more Ethnic pattern of drums, bass and all manner of ‘hidden’ instruments which finally fades away to silence. “Amok” by PHILIP J follows this, a swirling miasma of indistinct noise wells up and swells back. This is not a grating noise, but rather warm and soothing, almost tenderly biological. This metamorphosizes into a more spatial - yet no less indiscernable - mist of noise. A drumbeat keeps time to what would otherwise be a calm chaos. The longest track on the entire album follows this - the 18’23” long "Something This Beautiful” by ZOVIET FRANCE - and the title says it all - there are moments of pure beauty on it, harmonies which engulf you, leaving you unprepared for the echoing sounds of isolation which’ll hit you at any moment from any direction. At moments, it sounds surprisingly like a coda to the opening track, with similar atmospheric noises creaking & breaking through. About 10 minutes into it, a fully-formed track forces itself through into the world, distorted into something almost fossil-like, it has so much texture and shape, while violins chisel and other sounds rise & fall. It dissolves back into the calm, atmospheric sounds as it approaches it’s climax. The CD finally closes with “Speculation” by DESACCORD MAJEUR which begins with a simple percussive sound which gradually grows more complex before forming into a lovely, relaxing track, flowing along on it’s tuned drums, with keyboards and taped voices which enter and leave at intervals which suit themselves. The structure of the track is fairly ‘normal’, but it still seems to suit the overall atmosphere of this magnificent album.Whatever you think of this review, the actual music is so much better than any description I could manage. It’s proof of the whole being greater than the sum of it’s parts. To me, this sound evokes imagery it really shouldn’t - the sound overall has rich, deep, dark colours and texture, like a wonderful, dusty arras, portraying some Bosch-like scene, as full of calm and harmony as it is of chaos and threat. This is just how it affected me - to you, it might not evoke any kind of imagery, but then again... It’s also collectable - there are only 1000 copies of it, and if you miss getting your hands on one, don’t ask me for mine - it’s priceless!!!Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.