“A splendid journey into the complexities of a music that Boddy brings back to a more accessible proportion”
1 Coil 6:57
2 Messiaen M31 5:56
3 Rings 6:23
4 Teutonium 7:31
5 Flow 6:22
6 Silver Surfer 5:55
(180gr vinyl/CD/DDL 39:06) (V.F.)
(Ambient Berlin & England School)
A rising synth wave unlocks COIL to our ears. A chloroformed layer breaks away, weaving the veil of an ambient melody whose ethereal texture floats with the tuning fork of our emotions. The opening of Coil highlights Ian Boddy's great sensitivity as he glides through the atmospheric avenues of his synthesizers. Like in the very ambient and meditative Messiaen M31. Except that here, the introductory atmospheric phase is brief since from the 40th second, a circular rhythmic sequence gently attacks our eardrums. The movement is fluid and transported by these clouds of orchestral mists which irradiate the background of COIL. A first wave of sounds takes over to redirect this rhythm into a pulsating bass line that carves out a boom-boom rhythm and reminds us of the good times in Arc. The rhythm continues to make the sequences flow in an atypical choreography where they roll in a fascinating rhythmic chassé-croisé that makes our neurons dance. Another wave of sounds and the intensity maintains its progression in a context where percussions and percussive slaps solidify the anchoring of the rhythm to our ears while the English musician does not cease to amaze them by loops of harmonies from the Ondes Martenot whose spectral essence is another charm that conquers our ears from the first listening of COIL. Managing the 7 minutes of the title wonderfully, Ian Boddy constantly adds a layer of intensity to a creatively evolving structure while its rhythm, whose heavy step sounds like a Moog sequence, gradually dilutes its fury in a finale where the tunes of the Ondes Martenot are floating like ectoplasms trapped in our imagination.
What an album my friends!
COIL follows the path of the excellent Axiom, released just 2 years ago. That is to say an album structured for the needs of a vinyl release. It's great, very great Ian Boddy who defies the tracks' length by offering 6 splendid ones that evolve creatively within their average length of about 7 minutes. According to the parameters of the title-track, the music is in constant motion. It evolves with different intonations and harmonic fluctuations, as well as rhythmic cycles to increase the level of intensity within each track. DiN's boss touches all his styles here. From the heavy and resonant Berlin School to the more electronic rock genre of England School, while flirting with meditative phases and complex electronic rhythms that are in symbiosis with celestial harmonic visions, I'm thinking among others of the amazing Rings, or more audacious, like in Silver Surfeur. In short, we listen, discover and replay with the same avidity that filled our ears at the time of the great classics of contemporary electronic music (EM) of the 70's.
After the quiet Messiaen M31 and its concerto of spectral waves, Rings makes us hear the tinkling of its embryonic rhythm. Ascending like zigzagging, this first structure of arpeggios in discussion substitutes itself into a chiming choir that is harpooned by a powerful pulsating bass line some 20 sequences into the 2nd minute. The rhythm that follows is heavy, resonant and ascending. Supported by sober percussions, its resonant flow displays a surprising fluidity while shaking the floor without overshadowing those arpeggios that keep twirling in a swirl of tinklings with subtle tonal variations. COIL's longest track, Teutonium begins with waves of gothic mist drifting through a desolate landscape. A heavy mass of bass makes its resonant and galloping structure heard about 40 seconds later. This is the beginning of a powerful Berlin School. The rhythm is heavy and resounding. Supported by a panoply of percussive gadgets, it goes up and down, back and forth displaying a fury that is renewed with each cycle that are still quite succinct. A mixture of Redshift and Arc that will certainly please aficionados of the genre. Flow is a very beautiful and harmonious meditative track. The movement sits on beautiful harmonic fluctuations with a keyboard that extends its chords through the fingers of a dreamy keyboardist. It sounds like a mix of Steve Roach, Michael Stearns and Erik Wollo performing a space ballet. A superb track! A layer of sonic eddies, tinkling arpeggios in a constantly expanding cylinder, and loops of whistling harmonies from a sharp-sounding synth are the hallmark of Silver Surfer's opening. Its rhythm emerges shortly after the first minute, unfolding a circular Groove structure. And if we close our eyes, we literally see the silver surfer multiplying the rollerblades on waves of sounds propelled by a rhythmic structure in the end ascending and near the territories of Synthpop flirting with a zest of Electronica. Like some great Ian Boddy!
Oh yes, what an album my friends! From the first to the last second, COIL is a splendid journey into the complexities of a music that Ian Boddy brings back to a more accessible proportion thanks to his vast experience and his mastery in the colors of the tones. The rhythms are round and warm, the melodies and the atmospheres are transcendent and in tune with our expectations. A great Ian Boddy album!
Sylvain Lupari (October 12th, 2022) *****
Available at DiN Music
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