Aranis - II (2007)

Released: 2007
Style: Classical, Experimental
Country: Belgium
Quality: MP3, 320kbps
Size: 128 Mb (3% recovery info)

Интересный, легкий и мелодичный второй альбом отличной бельгийской группы Aranis.

Review by Brandon Wu (www.progreviews.com)

Over the past few years, so-called "chamber rock" has become one of my favorite little subgenres of prog. Groups like Univers Zero, Art Zoyd, Present, and so on (interestingly, all Belgian bands) have continually wowed me with their detailed arrangements and their ability to write fundamentally rock music using instruments usually associated more with Western classical music. Interestingly, I find these bands compelling because of their darkness and intensity as much as anything else; yet in Aranis, we have a chamber-rock group (again hailing from Belgium) that has less of an emphasis on rock, and lacks the ferocity of any of the aforementioned groups — yet I find them just as fascinating nevertheless.

Aranis' lineup consists entirely of acoustic instruments and does not include a drummer, so right off the bat you know this stuff isn't going to rock in the conventional sense. Instead, what we get is a kind of chamber music that uses lots of ideas about counterpoint and harmony from Western classical music, but is highly rhythmic, often in unusual meters, and features the occasional solo (though whether these are composed or improvised is impossible to tell). Composer Joris Vanvinckenroye has some real talent; the melodies throughout this album are consistently memorable, and the arrangements are beautifully done.

Easily the highlight of the album for me is "Looking Glass," which features a couple of fantastically intricate sections wherein one violinist begins with a repetitive motive, on top of which piccolo joins with a countermelody, then piano with another melody, then a second violin joins with a distinctive spiraling motif, then acoustic guitar begins strumming urgently, then everything drops out for a gorgeous solo piano melody. Of course, all this is done in some crazy time signature or combination of time signatures. Wouldn't want to make this stuff too easy to play, right?

Other highlights include "Vala," "Moja," and "Waris," the latter of which includes a beautiful guest appearance on trumpet that adds a welcome variation to the group's instrumentation. All of these songs are highlights thanks to catchy melodies and deft orchestration — the musical language in use is advanced in terms of harmony and counterpoint, and the melodies seem to borrow a lot from folk music. The combination works fabulously. I have heard complaints that the group's music can be a little too formal and stiff, and while there doesn't appear to be much room for wild improvisation, I find the septet's tightness a selling point rather than a weakness. The only track I find a little awkward is "Trog," which incidentally is the only piece not composed by Vanvinckenroye.

I would love to see Aranis pull this stuff off live. Some of this material is pretty fiendishly intricate, but never at the expense of accessible melody. There's something in here for everyone; Aranis are far more approachable for the timid than the avant-rock groups I name-dropped at the beginning of this review. There really must be something in the water in Belgium.

Tracklist:

1. Kitano (03:58)
2. Vala (04:23)
3. Looking Glass (05:59)
4. Gona (04:46)
5. Walk in one's sleep (06:12)
6. Moja (04:23)
7. Waris (04:55)
8. Turbulentie (06:17)
9. Trog (04:05)
10. Lovey-Dovey (04:40)
11. Mythra (05:05)

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