I'm a little late in adding my $0.02, but, although I do not normally write music reviews, I felt that this warranted it. A few years ago I was listening to the chillout channel on Digitally Imported while I was cleaning my apartment. My room mates at the time were in a band and they had shows to play a couple of hours away, so they would be away for the weekend and therefore I had the place (and the sound system) to myself.
I had a habit of keeping Notepad open next to the Winamp player so that I could write down any new tracks I thought I might want to get. I remember hearing Leraine start and walking to the computer, slightly annoyed, because it starts out so quietly and I hate having to adjust the volume every 20 seconds. After I raised the volume, I went back to what I was doing. It turns out that it was a good thing I did because when the main theme of the track began it was playing at a loud enough volume to hear all the nuances and subtleties in the track.
I remember stopping dead in my tracks and sitting down on the couch to listen to the song in it's entirety. It was not like anything I had ever heard before; it was powerful and the melody was heartbreakingly beautiful. I quickly copied down the details of the track and set out to find the rest of the songs. Most of the time, for me, anyway, when I get details for the rest of an album after hearing one track that I liked, I find that it tends to be a disappointment. Not so with Tryshasla.
I don't know exactly what it is about this album, but there's something about it that hits me on a level that music never had before (or since). Every single track has something unique and fresh to offer that doesn't fit the usual ambient / chillout mould.
As earlier reviewers have written, Tryshasla is the story of a man's journey from death in a hospital to the afterlife realm of Sanda. This theme and story is one that could very well turn to something hackneyed and trite, but that never happens with Tryshasla. Even the transitions in between tracks are interesting and moving.
To me, this album is a masterpiece. It's gorgeous and unusual and is my favourite ambient album of all time and I honestly don't think I'll find anything quite like it again. The tracks I liked the best are Friday Fall, Born in a Tropical Swamp and, of course, Leraine. All of them, however, are fantastic and easy to listen to. I recommend this album to people often when I'm asked about good psy-ambient.
Anyone who is interested in a fresh, different, and interesting album that is still highly playable and enjoyable will love this.
