“Those who like neo-folk and tribal ambient drawn in the core of Sensitive Chaos and Erik Wollo are going to devour this album”
1 Emmesity 6:57 2 Thón 6:20 3 Algebra 6:32 4 Dr. One 5:57 5 Hapi 6:26 6 Madar 5:38 7 57 Varieties 6:07 Spotted Peccary | SPM-1304
(CD/DDL 43:57) (V.F.) (Neo Folk and tribal ambient)
In the range of the albums which seem totally lacking interest and which turn out to be real surprises, this GREEN ISAC ORCHESTRA from the Norwegian duet Green Isac must appears certainly at the top of list. Flanked of 3 invited musicians; Jo Wang on keyboards, Frode Larsen on the percussions and Tov Ramstad on cello, ukulele, saw and on bass, Morten Lund and Andreas Eriksen give thus more depth, more wealth and more horizons without borders to their tribal approaches always soaked by the Scandinavian poetry of Erik Wollo's influences. Moreover, there is a delicious mixture between these influences of Robert Fripp, Markus Reuter and Erik Wollo on GREEN ISAC ORCHESTRA of which the main attractions remain nevertheless a solid play of the manual percussions and these ill-assorted sound elements which untie some atmospheres always near the unexpected.
The seduction begins with these wavelets of chords which wave in suspension and which are congealed in a very Jerome Froese approach, The Speed of Snow for instance, of Emmesity. The ethereal Electronica, fed by transitory sound elements of a very psychedelic kind (we would say a horse and its clogs which hesitates to walk), is transformed into a slightly lively tribal rhythm where Andreas Eriksen's clan percussions drums a sharp but soft rhythm, and especially a very mesmerizing one. The electronic effects and the guitar, always very secret and intuitive, and its riffs in loops bear the harmonious portion while that Tov Ramstad adds a melancholic depth with the tears of his cello. The duel piano and electric guitars between Jo Wang and Morten Lund puts down the roots of this perception that Erik Wollo affixes his inspiring claw on the music of Green Isac and the bells, of which the ringings resound between two phases of rhythms and harmonies, stigmatize these soft neo-ambient folk perfumes of Sensitive Chaos. The bass does very Patrick O'Hearn! Lively and very harmonious, Emmesity sets the tone to a very good music 40 minutes which still has no borders. With dark breezes, chords of a guitar which stretches its sadness in its effects of reverberations as well as its tears, the ambient introduction of Thón brings us to a very diversified sound level where all which was lying around in barns could serve as musical instruments. The rhythm is delicate and the very vampiric approaches of the guitar, as well as its effects of ambient reverberations, make of this track a kind of morphic and ghostly blues filled of the wanderings of Robert Fripp. The nervous percussions which open Algebra are stopped abruptly by a delicate piano which will cement its minimalist melody in all the changes of rhythmic direction of the track. From a tribal blues which melts into a lascivious ethereal dance, the piano forges its earworm which tends to forget the titanic work of the percussions on this track to which we hang to it as much as with Emmesity. Dr One is not outdone. Its ambient introduction is forged in the mysticism of the nights of North Africa with rattlers and organic tones which seem to roam under the cold moon. Little by little these moods free themselves from the yoke of the cloudiness in order to offer another good clanic down-tempo with the cello, the guitar, the saw and the electronic effects, which sculpture long guttural sound lassoes, of which the meshing offers a beautiful envelope of ambiences and harmonies to the percussions which get more and more incisive. Hapi proposes a more ambient approach with its riffs of guitar which run in minimalist loops throughout its 386 seconds. The tears of guitar, of cello and of the saw weave a creative cloud of melancholy, while the percussions which fall at the edge of 5 minutes force a slow rhythm which is well supported by a snoring bass. That remains always ambient and near Patrick O'Hearn ethereal moods, whereas that Madar dives into a tribal approach of the Middle East with good percussions, a keyboard which stigmatizes its minimalist melody between our two hemispheres as well as an ingenious duel between the guitar and its effects which fight with a very acute cello. 57 Varieties ends this 6th album of Green Isac with a guitar and a violin which offer a harmonious duel weaved in jerky chords and bouncy riffs. The percussions, as well as its hidden treasures, and the bass structure a steady rhythm while effects of guitars and the escapades of the violin transform the approach of staccato into a more melodious shape.
Even if we are always very far from Berlin School, the music of GREEN ISAC ORCHESTRA remains very refreshing. The electronic effects are very shaded by a guitar and this saw among which the effects and the plaintive harmonies can be confused easily with the tortuous synth layers or still in solos which get lost at night. Everything is story of perception here! Those who like neo-folk and tribal ambient are going to devour this album of the ears. A delicious album that I would place between Sensitive Chaos and Erik Wollo; two artists who possess this gift to bring out melodies which are eaters of eardrums through a beautiful sound decoration create in an unlimited imagination without borders.
Sylvain Lupari (December 31st, 2015) *****
Available at Spotted Peccary Bandcamp