Thursday, August 21, 2008

Gultskra Artikler/Lanterns split disk

From the Other Electricities label comes a split 12" - the three track Berezka fom Gultskra Artikler together with Lanterns' Monkey Lament. I have a promo cd (so can't comment on the total pakage) and it will be available from download sites.

Gultskra is a Russian musician. Pervie gusli is is a piece of psychedelic ambience, spacey guitars, swirling atmospherics, clicks drifting through, a clattery percussion builds and it finishes with some slow slides. A world music feel to Figase layers a whisper-like electrocrackle, pops crackles and hiss with a Middle eastern horn and voice sample - slightly distant and distorted), and this swings in and out of focus finely balanced atmosphere. I Berezka take 2 a hint of acoustic guitar underscores electronic bloops and blips, bells, an organ pulse to create an eno-ish melodic ambience.

From Leeds and Glasgow Lanterns is currently a duo and present two very different tracks. Snake ice is a dense drone work - big organ pulsing drones, long guitar tones, complex subtley changing wall of sound that ends with a deconstruction. And then Dir tup is a more acoustic work: whistly shakhujachi, a clattering, strummed guitar and bird song throughout. The guitar cycles though and some harmonica joins and a bowed fiddle or guitar - a bucolic rural ambient piece which is gently relaxing.

A fairly short album - just under 26 minutes - but showcasing two quite different artists who themselves create varied music: the pros and cons of the format, effectively an opportunity to showcase which is more focussed than a compilation but not a single mind's music view. An enjoyable excursion.

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