Serenity reviews

Bruce Satinover wrote:

My initial impressions are that although the title of the album is "Serenity" I'm not sure I agree. The music is far from abrasive but the titles imply a quiet, new age experience. Yet I do not find the music to be new age- thankfully! I'm not much of a fan of easy listening music and I do not think this CD falls in that category either. In it's most literal sense the music on the album is ambient, but of an ambience that resembles the European sensibilities of instrumental electronic music. This tradition includes artists such as Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schultze.

The feel of the album is quite cohesive and the sequence of songs are well paced and undulate with "First Phase" starting the album in a deceptively simple chord and timbre arrangement.
The buildup on "Dark Matter" is subtle and impressive although some timbres such as the occasional filter sweep seem to be further up in the mix than I anticipated.
The continued instrumental build and compositional form of "The Big Nothing" is impressive in it's execution. Rather than wasting the listeners time by long involved solos or synthesizer noodling the music of "Serenity" has structures with each piece seeming to add to the craftsmanship of the album while always remaining musical. There are the occasional "beep" and "boops" of electronica on some sections on the album but they make sense within the context of the ten pieces that make up the album. I found a certain timelessness in many of the compositions with the latter part of the album creating an interesting summation of various themes that run throughout the collection songs.
"Transit" is different in nature than "Rendezvous at Siderius" yet they make for a good summary of consistent compositional themes found throughout the album. Song structures are built, developed, and resolved.

This all sounds analytical and cold and to some degree this is an analytical album. There is a distance from the user that I found pleasant, like I was invited to listen but as a visitor, not a participant with the music. Again, this might sound like a bad thing to some people reading this review but I view this album as collection of sound statements and sonic painting. This is formal music that doesn't take itself too seriously but does have thematic and compositional aspects that deserve a serious listen. Beneath the pleasant exterior of most of the ten songs on this album there are simple, spare arrangements that are deceptive in their faux simplicity. Well worth repeated listening.

"Serenity" is aptly named. By focusing on the music, the listener can't help but relax and be calmed. This music, however, if not listened to, will fade beyond conscious attention and become an unobtrusive part of the landscape.

This is not party music. It's not driving music. It is music that is carefully designed to give you a 66-minute excuse for not "being there". It is deceptive in its smooth execution from beginning to end. If you can keep the music in your mind without your mind wandering off with it you may notice that it is more complex than it first appears.

"First Phase" begins to set the mood. The music breathes. Sit quietly and feel the music ebb and flow like the breath in preparation for meditation.

"Dark Matter" begins with a random pattern like the random thoughts that play through the mind in the initial stage of a meditative experience. It then settles into a rhythmic repetition like the feeling of blood quietly pulsing in your temples.

As the mind in meditation, the separate pieces of music flow smoothly from periods of quiet reflection to self-awareness and back again.

Occasionally, the mind ventures forth in exploration. The title cut "Serenity" is itself a journey through several musical explorations. Each segment flows into the next in a very natural way. My favorite section is a very nice "guitar solo" that is (I assume) played entirely on the black & white.

Occasionally, the mind ventures into some area that brings unease. "Velocity Raptor" skirts an area of dark foreboding but carefully lifts you back into the light. The brief excursion into the dark sharpens your concentration.

"Transit" is a time of activity, underscored by an increasing tempo at the beginning. When escape velocity is reached, it takes you for a stimulating but pleasant ride.

"Rendez-vous at Siderius" brings you back to the quiet meditative state. Listening very carefully with the phones on gave me a much better impression of this piece. It seems like several different voices fade in and out as the piece moves along. I had a sense of breathing, but also of floating. Each voice is basically just two notes that feel like inspiration and expiration, like in the original Greek meaning of these words: inward and outward movement of the spirit

"Third Phase" breathes you back to wakefulness.

Open your eyes, carefully replace the CD in its case, and plan another listening excursion soon.