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"With "A Time Of Day", Anekdoten strives to refine his musical style to obtain a coherent and harmonious ensemble, which skillfully merges his inspiration from the past with his modern instincts."
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4/5
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"A Time Of Day", Anekdoten's latest album, immerses the senses in a universe of melancholic inspirations and an atmosphere that is sometimes acoustic, sometimes saturated, sometimes atmospheric and psychedelic. In the heart of an Eldorado dominated by the powerful sounds of omnipresent mellotrons and by the Farfisa organ, whose scale sometimes brings an attractive fine "sixties" colour.
The stage is set and will impose itself ever more on us to take us literally halfway; the ensemble "A Sky About To Rain - Every Step I Take", whose instrumental passage (acoustic intro and the hints of a moog amplifying an ever-increasing atmosphere), composed of three minutes, so short and yet so eternal, is transformed into an infinite moment of intense sensations which many groups cannot deliver from pieces that are much longer. A luminous moment, probably one of the most enjoyable of the Anekdoten era.
In addition to our delight, there will be the appearance of a temporary violin, the alternation of peaceful acoustics (the bewitching "Stardust and Sand" with persistent floydian echoes, "Atom Heart Mother" period) with the harshness of harder sounds, the luminous singing of a sunny flute (on the delicious "30 Pieces") which brings a welcome touch of joy to the whole and light to this tenebrous universe. We will also note the intoxicating flight of a guitar with very "Riverside" resonances to complete the whirlwind of sound delivered by "In For A Ride". And then there are those voices which, finely orchestrated, follow the instrumental painting with cohesion and accuracy, resounding better than on previous albums. Finally, this splendour is magnified by a "Prince of The Ocean" accompanied by a cello with sumptuous melancholic tunes.
Certainly, the universe that transports us does not reach perfection. It revolves around excellence at times, then moves away from it, misting into more oppressive currents. In particular, he may be blamed for his lack of originality, struggling to renew the portrait of "Gravity", reproducing plans already developed and exploiting retro sounds without reworking them sufficiently. We may regret a sometimes abusive use of the moog, a too throbbing and soft tempo, a lack of inspired variations and alternations, an abandonment of the rhythmic breaks present on the first albums, a slight distance from the "crimsonnian" influence for the adoption of more accessible and more modernised tonalities.
The whole is thus moving towards a horizon with more simplified forms and more commercial aspects. But what does it matter in the end? With "A Time Of Day", Anekdoten strives to refine his musical style to obtain a coherent and harmonious ensemble, which skillfully merges his inspiration from the past with his modern instincts. Certainly a journey to enter. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. The Great Unknown - 6:22
02. 30 Pieces - 7:13
03. King Oblivion - 5:02
04. A Sky About To Rain - 6:29
05. Every Step I Take - 3:06
06. Stardust And Sand - 4:29
07. In For A Ride - 6:47
08. Prince Of The Ocean - 5:30
LINEUP:
Anna Sofi Dahlberg: Claviers / choeurs, mellotron, rhodes, violon
Gunnar Bergsten: flûte
Jan Erik Liljeström: Chant / Basse
Nicklas Barker: Chant / Guitares / Claviers / mellotron, vibraphone
Peter Nordins: Batterie / percussions, vibraphone
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READERS
4.4/5 (8 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.7/5 (3 view(s))
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