Emanuele Errante - Humus

[abasio]

Emanuele Errante

Humus

Somnia

April 2008

Ambient

 

Tracklist

 

1. Fecunda (6:31)

2. Lucus (8:55)

3. Ros (3:56)

4. Humi (9:59)

5. Radio Hopes (6:40)

6. Leaves (1:45)

7. Aquatic (7:48)

8. Primo Tema (3:23)

9. Ant's Trail (4:29)

10. Magic Wood (5:32)

11. Ultimo Tema (3:14)

 

 

Another release on Evan Bartholomew's ambient label Somnia is the first not by himself. One Emanuele Errante offers us up some sleep inducing ambient and I'll admit that at first this album bored me a little. It took time for its eloquence to unfold and for it to successfully insert images into my head. It did help me sleep though and in the times I was really listening to it, I started to understand it more and more.

 

1. Fecunda

A nice classical feel to the opening track here, with soft strings and an olde worlde feel to it. I can picture foggy European countryside in the mornings as I listen to this, the drones feel surprisingly musical as if they are themselves a new type of string instrument and the brief smatterings of melody sound like flutes or bells and sometimes I can hear both at once. Very nice modern classical ambient.

 

2. Lucus

The deep bass sound rumbling downwards right from the start instantly sets a darker atmosphere. The feeling is still that of the olde worlde but we've gone from romantic mornings in unspoiled countryside to gray castle towns with the hustle and bustle of a non busy market and the looming presence of a dark keep overlooking everything. Deep dark drones, frantic flute and a myriad of little noises give this a sense of accustomed unease.

 

3. Ros

A short track that feels like the build up of psychic energy. The drone is high pitched like the air might explode should its intensity increase. The sharper synths sound like ritual slicing through the air and it all gives me a sense of sorcery.

 

4. Humi

Humi paints a picture in my head of aftermath. Like the aftermath of a great battle. There is no action, no commotion just peace and a certain sense of emptiness in a crowded place. The long fluctuating drones combined with little lightly pitched sounds make me imagine souls rising up into the sky whereas the dark but gentle bass that comes in midway feels like the same thing but descending to who knows where. Imagine a field on which was fought a battle of titanic proportions but which is over, the victors having moved on leaving the dead and the dying to litter the ground. Listening more closely I can hear flies and carrion feasting on what remains and listening intently I can see the souls of those now departed on the next step of their journey.

 

5. Radio Hopes

Dark and scratchy is how this starts out as if the radio is acting up again. Slowly there comes more sounds. The lone piano note struck loudly, the sweep of a synth short and sharp. Still the scratchy static continues. More sounds come if you really listen but they are extremely subtle and easily missed. With this I picture a soldier in the trenches trying to get his radio to work, struggling but gaining ground little by little as he eeks out the sounds. Finally he gets the music to play and there are beats for a time just briefly though before it cruelly cuts out.

 

6. Leaves

A very short track with just smatterings of clicky sounds, deep keyboard melody and mystical ambience. All in all a short but quite spacey track. Would have liked it to continue.

 

7. Aquatic

Water sounds at the start as if something is wading through calm waves. A strong melody and prominent high pitched notes wailing in the top side. It feels all the way through like it's going to kick of with some percussion with a slow bass note plodding along and the slight fluttering of mechanical wings with what could be beats many miles distant. The beat never materialises though however the mechanical sounds take over like there is an alien craft hovering over our Aquatic seascape. All manner of glittering sea life comes for a look at the craft but it fades away with all the attention leaving us once again with just the sea.

 

8. Primo Tema

A short glitchy track with static like synth mixed with piano played almost into a melody. The atmosphere created is one like a small vortex looking like it should disrupt the world around it but somehow leaving everything unscathed.

 

9. Ant's Trail

A crazy melody seems to have no plan but just plays randomly what comes to mind which is generally hitting a few keys at once repetitively and sliding up and down the scale. The other constant is little clicks like sporadic movement of a beast just learning to walk. There are drones here and there starting sharp and fading away like voices lost on the wind. By the time these voices become more stable there is another half melody vying for attention. Interesting track if not the best for a headache.

 

10. Magic Wood

More percussion here with a just about steady beat. Dark twisted drones cover the slight piano and hide it under a blanket of buzzing insects. But it is there, put you ear to the ground and concentrate and you can hear it as if it's far away but as all the noise and percussion stop so does the piano and I realise it is not a sound covered by the rest but more a sound made by the rest, soft and subtle and fitting in perfectly.

 

11. Ultimo Tema

Single notes on the piano played over slight glitchy mist and sparkles of light, the briefest of drones floating up and out and vague percussion may not sound like much but it's incredibly engrossing and as the piano slowly becomes a few notes the drones become longer only for the album to sadly end.

 

 

Well this turned out to be a very nice ambient album. Easily dismissable as boring if you don't give it a chance. Distraction free and with a clear focussed mind. Each track has its own little story and although the album kind of feels like a story it also feels like it jumps from scene to scene with no explanation of what happened in between. That though just adds a chaotic feeling to such a relaxed album. I like that, chaotic chilled out music. The opening track remains my favourite on the album and one of the nicest tracks this year.

[p(sy)ayam]

i gave this album 4 or 5 listens including one critical listen which was the only time i listened to the whole album without falling sleep.

very relaxing, but (at least for me) also very forgettable...i do remember that i liked the first track, but can't remember any other tracks. it's a nice album but definitely not the best from Somnia.

[Kaarinen]

i gave this album 4 or 5 listens including one critical listen which was the only time i listened to the whole album without falling sleep.

very relaxing, but (at least for me) also very forgettable...i do remember that i liked the first track, but can't remember any other tracks. it's a nice album but definitely not the best from Somnia.

Yeah, it's not as good as the Bartholomew/Marc CDs in my opinion either, but it's still a pretty nice addition to the catalogue and all in all a pleasent listening experience. And the packaging's really beautiful . I haven't heard the newest Somnia release (juxta phona & offthesky) yet, but judging by the sound samples it's probably something very different from the others.

[Anoebis]

I agree with the others here... The artwork and cover are beautifull (like all the other releases of the label) but the music didn't manage to grab me completely, some tracks seem a little too boring or without direction, some nice tracks in between as well of course, but unfortunately forgettable on the long term, the Evan Bartholomew albums were indeed better... (specially the "dark" one)

[Melancholyman]

Got this release aswell and haven't even given it a serious listen, dunno why, guess it sucks.

[abasio]

Got this release aswell and haven't even given it a serious listen, dunno why, guess it sucks.

This was my opinion of it until I gave it a serious listen.

Am doing the same with Escape Kit

[Drosophila]

I like this release, I'm not loving it as much as Escape Kit or Evan's own releases on Somnia, but I still feel that it brings something new to the label. It has a warmth and "organity" that really pleases me! And it's defintly some of the best working/study music I have, cus it's easy not to get annoyed or distracted by it, and yet at the same time it keeps me awake

And it defintely also took me a few listens before I "grabed" it... It somehow slipped through my thoughts and it was difficult for me to apprieciate it in it's details, but that somehow changed! But that could just be me