seven

for a rather old record it is a very impressive discovery. some of you (and probably quite many of you) might know this project since they have been around for quite a while. for me it was a complete discovery.

at the time the album was released, seefeel consisted of mark clifford (guitars, sequencing, rhythm treatments), sarah peacock (guitars, vocals), daren seymour (bass, radio), justin fletcher (percussion, rhythm programming). this was their third album, with their other releases on rephlex and astralwerks, among others (it is interesting to see how close those labels came to the definition of dark ambient developed by the likes of reload ambient; how many other releases exist out there that match the definition of the genres I am interested in, and yet never got marketed among the communities I belong to?).

what attracted me in their music was a peculiar dark atmosphere, close to the likes of some reload ambient or even zone51 (or maybe starfish pool's material?) releases. same drony, dreamy atmosphere with dark textures, slowly building rhythms, deep bass humming. similarly to ultra milkmaids, they used a lot of acoustic guitar sounds that create this strange mix of heavily treated acoustic and mechanized atmosphere.

the music has a certain eerie feel to it, enhanced by clean distant strings and rhythmic textures that at vary between pan sonic-like technoid pulsing and simple elegant intensity of vromb or mellow celluloid mata. this elegancy is what often sets it apart. at times the melodic side of the music is simply beautiful, taking over somewhat experimental feel of the album. it is so laid-back, pleasantly relaxed, never losing its dark appeal.

I realize that a lot of my comparisons are off, but it is not the technicalities I am comparing, but the atmosphere that the music creates coupled with certain technical details.

again and again I found myself completely mesmerized by the elegant nature of this album. small vocal samples, gentle sparse keys, little sounds, noises, occasional beautiful stings and gradually building repetitiveness makes it quite an unforgettable experience.

maybe this album hit the right spot, since I have been going back to a lot of older material lately, rediscovering everything from "tactical neural implant" to tangerine dream and stockhausen. no matter what the reason, I would recommend this one to anyone in the mood for the late night rhythmic ambience that plays with simple melodies, persistent rhythms, mysterious noises, fading, fleeting sounds.