Narwal - The Album FLAC download

This album is divided into two sides, each of which is one entire ‘track’. The only way to tell which is 'A’ or ‘B’ side is by the tail-out groove, on which they are scratched. The ‘A’ side begins, as it carries on, with echoing, phasing, ever-changing music which, while full of rich harmonics and glorious sound, seem never to be quite in hard focus, their source remaining on the periphery of your audio perception. Do they use treated ‘found’ tapes, do they use samplers or is it all produced by the group themselves? - I admit I do not know! What I do know is that this is a wonderful metamorphic soundscape, benevolent as what might be described as 'Traditional Industrial’ is often malevolent. I compare it to this area of music because this is very similar to the material you might find on THROBBING GRISTLE’s "2nd Annual Report" & "TGCD”, except that where TG’s music created a sense of fear, of forboding, of malign intent, of isolation, of something viral!. NARWAL choose to create works with huge, warm, comforting, drifting sounds which drift in and out in a variety ot different formations, yet all of it freeform - when it begins to gel into something approaching rhythm, NARWAL take it off at a tangent, away from acceptable form, into new and exciting drifts of noise. In ways it reminds me in parts of CONTRASTATE, but whereas they favour Stygian, Lovecraftian images of black against frosted Silver, NARWAL choose a whole spectrum of colours, albeit dark hues, spread in seemingly amorphous shapes. Side ‘B’ shows itself a little more - sitar is clearly heard, as are huge washes of strings, treated tablas (or poured water). After this initial glimpse beneath the veil of their sound, ranks close and they are back with the warm sounds which wash over you. like warm fragrant waves steadily rippling, lulling you into a trance-like-state from which you feel reluctant to surface. Woodland sounds - birdsong and animal noise, are clearly audible (yet mixed far back - showing you just how subtle their sound is. This eventually changes - and evolution was never this smooth - into a similar yet different soundscape, through which white bursts of refreshing waves are heard to crash against rocks. After a few minutes ot this a colossal beating rhythm appears, less a pulse, more a smash. This soon succumbs to the ethereal serenity of this album, the whole track going once again through magical changes which result in another drifting, rippling wash of warming noise. This gives way after a handful of lost time to what is the most ‘composed’ track on the entire album, complete with full rhythm and beat, plus sequencers which bring to mind something from TANGERINE DREAM's "White Eagle” album. If the COCTEAU TWINS / HAROLD BUDD album had been so much better - if they had added some of the more Industrial stuff by THIS MORTAL COIL and blended it together, they might have come up with something approaching this sound. It might be too rich, too strange for the ‘New Age’ followers, but it’s in a similar vein. Don't let these comparisons put you off - on the contrary, send for a copy now - the limited edition release will not be there for long, although the music itself is eternal. This should be released on Compact Disc - it deserves the higher quality as it is in many ways, a fine and delicate album. And no use asking you cannot have my copy. Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.