AUGURIES OF INNOCENCE REVIEWS
LUNAR HYPNOSIS
This split between The Joy of Nature and Novemthree comes as a 2 X 3” CDr in a little digipak in a plastic sleeve. Each disc contains about twenty minutes of music that is no doubt highly inspired by nature, folklore and the times of yore.
The Joy of Nature is the sole project of LC from the Azores, which is a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. His music is within an acoustic/neo folk style with a very dreamy and mystical feeling to it. The songs generally consist of just lightly strummed acoustic guitars, keyboards, piano, percussion and the appearance of some woodwind instrument of some variety plus vocals. The actual songs are a bit hard to describe as I already mentioned they have a very dreamy and mystic feeling to them, but they also sound very timeless and antique sort of sentiment to them. It’s almost as if these are pieces of music from people and cults of the Azores of many centuries ago reworked and refined in modern times. LC’s vocals are fairly well performed and blend in perfectly with this sort of music. In any case this is some very beautiful and enduring music well worth exploring.
Novemthree on the other hand is an American project headed by Pythagumus and once again his music is a blend of acoustic instruments and voice creating some sort of forest folk music that perhaps could be compared to bands like In Gowan Ring, Tenhi or Sangre Cavallum. The songs generally consist of just an acoustic guitar, percussion, flute and voice, and let me tell you this is some really beautiful music. I must admit, Pythagumus’ voice is subtle and soothing and works wonders with this sort of folk music and much like The Joy of Nature I find this music to have a very timeless quality to it that takes my mind to past and embraces my heathen soul. However it is once again hard to fully describe this release but I can tell it’s quite gorgeous and enjoyable in its entirety.
As far as I know this release is still in print so if you’re looking for some interesting folk music than do get yourself a copy before it disappears.
J.M.
HEATHEN HARVEST
First band The Joy of Nature comes from Portugal and is conformed by Luis Couto, he has been around the Neo-Folk scene for quite awhile releasing at least one EP and two previous full lengths one of them on the Ahnstern label which was well received by the public. Joy of Nature plays in the Neo-folk league but follows no patrons for his procedure; his method is partly experimental while the rest of his work follows the cannons of a more concrete folk formation with certain psychedelic paintbrushes reminiscent from the Psych Folk from the 70s. His instrumental arrangements mainly consecrated in quasi mystic guitar acoustic pastorals are surrounded by an aura of mystery and magic with atmospheres accented in the ethereal and subtle ornamentations of post rock that grants the work a very special flavour, so unique an characteristic.
Novemthree on the other hand is a band from the US, lead by a strange entity called Pythagumus Olaf Marshal which musical ventures are lead into the Dark folk spiced in Medieval contours, creating very moody mystic atmospheres that are both contemplative and cosy, slightly melancholic in its harmonies and delicate arrangements accompanied by a great variety of folk instruments such as flutes, bells and shimes, a hurdy gurdy and percussions.
Both albums summarize a simpler kind of tranquillity accomplished in the natural mysticism that both works independently brings. The fluency evokes nature in very intimistic leitmotifs, opening a parallel related with a melancholic yet spiritual reflection. The delicate dynamic and soft arrangements, the peaceful melodic unfold and the atmospheres that elegantly adheres on the development from the albums clearly exemplify this condition. I fail not to note that The Joy of Nature is probably the more experimental outfit from both releases though, conducting more influences and styles and joining different methods to deliver its aural projection. There is two sides smartly integrated in here, one it’s clearly focusing in a mix of psych folk and modern folk dynamics with excerpts of ethereal arrangements pertaining to the post rock category. In this regard tracks like: “Nobody’s fault but mine”, “Song of innocence” and “The show is over” distinctively comes as examples with very complex arrangements that join all these influences together in a very soothing cadence of instrumental melodies, pretty arrangements and subtle atmospheric additions.
Soft percussions support very slow paced melodies with harmonies balanced between the medieval and the psychedelic, while the thematic are highly mystical and reflexive. On the other hand we have the more ambient related from the band represented in atmospheric inductions with heavy influxes of dark folk and more orthodox Neo-folk dynamics. Tracks like “Die Liebe ist ein Träum” (sung in German and compass marked by an ominous bass with delicate guitar reminiscent of Sol Invictus noir folk) or the highly atmospheric based “Am I butterfly” (constructed on a tapestry of delicate drone background accompanied by instrumental acoustics and melodious somber voice will be the delight for a twilight evening) “Für Das Kleine Mädchen Von Meinen Träumen (entirely worked as instrumental, presents the fragility of a vaporous atmosphere commanded by the elongated notes of a piano played within the confine of a –non plus ultra-) presents this signature. The brevity of the work is the only shame, but all beauty last not.
Novemthree delights with its set of fresh guitar arrangements, presenting bucolic atmospheres accompanied by the magic flavour from hurdy gurdy that resounds itself as a celestial chorus in its own, soft flutes of pristine sweetness and the outworldly hums from the chorus line composed by male vocals that gives the work a special pagan ritual influx. Track “Reaching The Summit At Nightfall” is a good example on this. The chorus represents a speciality, by delivering a warm touch that is comforting and encircling as well as the amount of instrumental accompaniments giving to each track a subtle troubadour-esque feel. All these style characteristics and instrumental apparitions invariably lead to a Medieval Folklore influx that permeates the entire character from the album.
The voice is perhaps the only element that comes as a dissimilar, almost prosaic in its delivery affected by a slight echo effect especially in the tracks: “The First Flowers” and “How heavy the days” or profoundly resonant while forming duet like in the tranquil mystic track “We All Must Die”. Additionally there is a subtle infusion of psychedelics somewhere amidst the melodies and in the very crumb from the instrumental atmospherics invariably linking the album with a lightly reminiscence of psych folk.
We have here an outstanding Mini CD dual set, visually and musically impressive, with both bands independently displaying a sort of aural spell over the listener, opening a mystic door to some sort of medieval deliverance sorted by the uncommon grounds of subtle psychedelics and graceful atmospheric and acoustic experimentalisms. Delicate and ornamented, this is Neo-folk with a very special spirit that makes it truly unique not only for the ear but for the heart.
Jack The Ripper
EVENING OF LIGHT
This split double album is presented with a lovely and attractive handmade package containing two mini-sized cdrs.
The first album, by The Joy Of Nature is a 7-track mini album with a certain well hanging together variety with some strange combination of darkness and dark sounds and sweet innocent acoustic spheres into a song cycle entitled with one of William Blake's most frequented quoted poems, “Auguries of innocence”, which for the maker seems to have worked as the symbol for a reflective mood keeping innocence intact while giving focus to further imaginable or real experiences. It also contains two covers, "Nobody's fault but mine" of Dream City Film Club and "The show is over" of Nora Keyes. The first track is sung in German, reflects a more neofolk sphere. Various other tracks reflect a world more comparable to a simplified version of Edward Ka-Spel or Use Of Ashes, but with complex layers of various different musical ideas (distant and closer piano, acoustic and electric guitars, harp-like strings, darker keyboards and glockenspiel, sad acid folk flutes, and some dramatic voice additions).
The Novemthree part is said to have been more into the poems of Hermann Hesse (2 tracks), I’m not sure in what way, (unfortunately I have never checked his works), with one track by Chelsea Robb and Pythhagumus himself.
Some instrumental tracks, -like after-ritual pagan meditations-, are alternated with sad, almost hummed, contemplative minstrel songs, accompanied by soft harps or acoustic guitars, flutes, (handbells,..) and some ultrasoft or subtle hand percussion bass rhythms. Very sweet and nice acid-psych-folk.
