Aveparthe - Landscapes over the Sea

Aveparthe is the collaboration of three musicians from the Russia; Sanya and Donat of Sádon and Ivan Gomzikov of Astral&Shit. Combining their spices together, they've concocted a recipe for the core of their project. They want to explore the spirit of the north, and both textures of the past and the present collide to stream you down the cold rivers of the North. And, Landscapes over the Sea does a fair job at presenting that essence to the listened.

Take, for example, Nimbostratus, the first track on the album. Though the first two minutes really doesn't do much but present an ever dragged out note, as soon as it fades, a light choral sample is placed as feathery synths blush past; the whispers that enter the song only enhance the feeling of listening to something sacred. That continues on for about another two and a half minutes, when the atmosphere just becomes absolutely pressurized; however, underneath this thick cloud, you can still hear the whispers and the synths, and it all just builds on one another. The slight change from lower pitched pressure to higher doesn't seem like it'd really do much, but it just adds a different element to the song. At around the thirteen minute mark, perhaps an even denser wind is picked up, as what sounds like a sandstorm rages. As with most storms, it eventually calms, but the rushing wind just really never leaves. And, though this song did have a few areas where notes dragged on for too long, the overall listen was well worth my time.

Perhaps serving as an intermission between two seventeen minute, twelve second long songs, Fog Machine gives out more dragging drones, and a faded whisper. The whisper almost sounds like a sung out lullaby, creepy as it may be, it still works wonderfully. A bit too dull for my tastes, but the whispers made it engaging.

Full of Sun came in third, perhaps a partner to the first track as it echoes the same length. As quick as the song begins, a lighter synth line comes in with more chanting like vocals this time around. A lot of the same tricks I've already encountered come out to play in this track, up until around the six minute mark. Dirty drums work their way in, perfectly resonating with the overall air surrounding the track. Those remain only for about a minute and a half before they disappear, which was a little disappointing, and the rest of the track holds steady. Organ notes really spell out the latter half of the song, which was nice, but a little dry as well.

1600 had some acoustic instrumentation, an almost somber Western-like feel to it which helped maintain a different aura from the rest of the tracks. Well done song for its length, but I think the final minute sort of fell with intrigue.

And, lastly, Turn came along to deliver some more heavy ambient music; as if travelling on a ship and surrounded by a dense, forbidding fog, this song trapped you in the middle of nowhere, but grazed structural beauty across your forehead. Not exactly compelling in every sense, but well worth a listen.

And, though these guys may rely on some gimmicks that have been used time and time again, I still think that they've done a good job with this collaboration. Three minds put to work in order to create the sounds of the North was a good idea, and all throughout this album, as you stare into the frost laden cover art the album has to offer, well, it simply enraptures you in a land that you'll find yourself willing to travel deep within time and time again. Sep 01 2014