Gol Dolan - Flowing Lights

"Then I shall leap into love, from love into Knowledge, from knowledge into Enjoyment, and from enjoyment beyond all human sensations."

Every once in a rare while, a review comes along. One in which you will read it, open mouthed, then think to yourself "Wow". Let me sum this up, in two simple, tantalising, but confusing words. "Chinese Neofolk". My testimony is that I discovered Gol Dolan when I downloaded a Dying Art label promo album. Along with other bands of the label's selective crop, this little beauty sat nestling.

"Misty Eventide of Violet Forest", it was titled. Mixed in with black metal, ritual ambient, and harsh electronics, I found this beautiful piece of folkish music; complete with bells, gongs, organs, and the whole plethora of orchestral monastic Musae.

Enter present day. Gol Dolan. Demo CDR. 200 copies. Not available anywhere outside China. Except one small UK Distro, which I will come to later. Many, many prayers later, this absolute beauty sits on my sweaty palm. Quality over Quantity.

This release comes in a small cardboard slipcase, complete with above quote, beautiful traced inlay paper, and that's about it. No closer to understanding who Gol Dolan is, but who cares. It's here. It's mine, and It's a fucking miracle. I don't swear in reviews often, but fuck me, this fucker is fucking worth it.

As an introduction to the Gol Dolan aesthetic, "Rosary of Clouds" educates us in as much cultural sounding bliss as it's title does. Imagine Ambient winds, Eastern percussion, panpipes, wind chimes, gongs, wooden wind instruments and keyboards thrown into the cooking pot. Imagine them coming out Golden Brown, echoing the finest most delicate tunes, like only the most beautiful of porcelain dolls could ever hope to. Not even one of the highlights. "Faded Vision", is. This is beauty. Close your eyes. Lie back.Turn this up.

You are floating above a crystal city. Pagodas ziggurat before you, a beauty matched only by the stars themselves. On top of this, an Oracle strums his Lute, directing his notes to your soul. Dying Art? I can only hope this one is alive.

"Orasul de Floci" is the darkest track here, it has more of a feel of discordance, and although it is very pretty in it's own way, it is also very traditionally Chinese. Think Li Chao sat doing an Enemite acoustic set, but without the urge to stab a thousand ritual Athames into your Sternum. The song cheers up anyway, Drums (a first for this release), and a sharp rise in tempo.

Bringing us to "Misty Eventide of Violet Forest", Do I really need to introduce this again? If you haven't heard this, you haven't heard beauty. Well, you probably have, but you haven't heard this. I won't elaborate much on the aforementioned description, but I will say this, and for once ignore the hyperbolé. This is a typical bi-product of Neofolk, (and eastern music per se), in that the best and most wonderful sounds are always the last to get discovered.

Anyway, carrying out this Ethereal portfolo is "Whispering Moly". Admittedly, I don't know if this is Moly in the sense of someone's name, or an object, but who ever Moly is, s/he has a beautiful voice. There is even a dark choir here, in the background. Possibly Buddhist or Shinto?

No Más, Choirs in ambient music are GOOD. IF they are done well. Which Isn't so often. Acoustic bliss. So Let's push the music aside, and cater for all the consumers out there. You want to hear this.How the fuck do you find it?

Well, it took me a fair old while. Firstly, remember it's very limited. Secondly, you will almost certainly have to order from China. Apart from one guy. This Demo is available from a small UK based distro. I couldn't believe it either. At the bargain price of £3.50, I strongly urge you to snap this up.

Timeless, Flawless, Spiritless. The catalyst China needed to spark a much bigger fire. Sep 13 2006