Originally released on Mille Plateaux's 'classical' imprint Ritornell to great critical acclaim in 1999, Marvin Ayres' 'Cellosphere' is a beautiful and hypnotic fusion of Minimalist sensibilities and unique Ambient sound processes.
Operating somewhere between the spiritual serenity of Gorecki and Part and the electronic adventures of Brian Eno and Aphex Twin, 'Cellosphere' features layers of organic strings filtered through atmospheric distortions and effects, sounding at once both familiar and utterly new.
Now exclusively available via Burning Shed, featuring bonus track 'Sensory', this compelling album remains as essential as ever.
More information available at www.marvinayres.com.
'stimulating' The Wire
'heady serenity' DJ
'thoroughly engaging' Foundsound
Comments
This release from 2004 features 49 minutes of long-form classical pieces.
This time, Ayres applies his creativity to longer tracks, allowing his cellos and violins to build gradually, their notes drifting in the air and creating a tension-easing atmosphere. The instruments interact with subtlety, adapting to the transparency of air and mimicking that near invisibility. The melodies are elegant, unhurried and fragile. The harmonic flow merges with intangibility, evoking an ethereal tapestry of soothing content, minimal yet charged with a soft strength.
One short track offers darker pulsations that add an eerie intensity to the calm string-work.
While conventionally considered background music, compositions like this exemplify the potential of modern sensibilities to explore more traditional genres, resulting in easy-listening fare for individuals who want to surround themselves with something more substantial than ambient electronic drones.
The CD includes a bonus track, “Sensory,” in which the strings achieve a thicker presence, filling the air with a palpable sonority of meditative properties. This piece is also featured on the “Sensory” DVD (also available on Burning Shed) which features films by Pete Gomes set to Ayres’ ethereal music.
Sonic Curiosity
Cellosphere is one of my favourite pieces of music of all time, (and I am very hard to please). Music of genius is like a journey, it takes you away someplace else. Marv can do that for you . . .
Dave