“We enter the Indra univers here, such as we discovered in The Call of Shiva era”
1 Genesis of Pan 9:20 2 Follow Up 7:56 3 Les Connaisseurs 11:31 4 Creole 16:22 5 The Leap 8:46 6 Trance Location 20:47 Indra Music
(CD/DDL 74:45) (V.F.) (Roumanian and New Berlin School)
We move forward in the Indra universe. Having got back the music lost in the end of the 90's and at the beginning of 2000, this last part of the Archival series concentrates on compositions forgotten in the stride of albums such as The Call of Shiva, Volume 1 and 2, and Signs. This was the period where the minimalist EM perfumed by the essences of Klaus Schulze from the In Blue years bloomed out for the first time in the ears of the new followers of the music from the Rumanian synthesist. And the most interesting aspect of RUBY FIVE is to hear the evolution of Indra who always remains a proud defendant of his poetry in sounds.
Genesis of Pan begins this last part of the Ruby series with an ambient track fed by drones and by hoops in colors of azure which spread their radiances around electronic noises and fragments of melodies erased by time. It's maybe the least interesting track here, but the finale is majestic with superb arrangements which transports us in the time of Babylon. Follow Up changes totally of range with a hopping rhythm which sounds as in the 70's when the Pop and the electronic mixed their flavors in weird commercial tunes. It's lively and cheerful with good sequences which bounce in contrasting tones and among some good electronic effects which chirp in the vampiric melodies of the electronic mists. The Connoisseurs proposes a heavy circular rhythm which swirls in sound effects and in effects of sharp-edged wiish which remind us some atmospheres of horror movies. Minimalist, and especially very enveloping with its effect of linear loops which swirl tirelessly, the structure of rhythm goes up and goes down, spins and offers variations in tones, while the electronic effects forge sequences which collide without knocking down the moods. And little by little, the beat increases its cadence with a structure as unstable as tremulous which is decorated with tinkle of which the transparency is contrasting with this circular and finely jerky dark rhythm. Playing on the nuances, Indra attaches to it an unfinished melody with chords which ring into effects of astral voices. An explosive finale is just missing here! Creole is a long track which has several rhythmic skins before fading in nothingness. Its beginning is as much jerky as in The Connoisseurs, a little less fast on the other hand, with curt hits which resound musically behind the curtain of a synth to the very harmonious solos. The approach is circular and goes for a livelier structure fed by 5 vigorous beatings which are slowed down by 2 more moderate ones. Often playing on tribal essences by means of a guitar forged in the archives of his Kurzweil, Indra proposes a delicate serenade drawn by an acoustic six-strings whereas little by little the spirit of Creole adopts this tangent of clanic trance so dear to the repertoire of the Rumanian synthesist.
The Leap is a beautiful ambient ballad with delicate percussions which slam in winds without structuring a lively rhythm. Keyboard chords are strolling around, weaving a melody without soul which roams in this pattern of ambient rhythm of which the velocity of another line of rhythm maintains in its yoke of ethereal ballad. Calm, but hypnotically mesmerizing, the minimalist approach gets embellished by gyrating chirping with effects of loops which loosen finely stroboscopic synthesized harmonies. It's a very good track if we want to ramble in the cosmos. Trance Location begins with sequences which flicker in imperfect circles, structuring these electronic ambient rhythms which are painted by cosmic effects. The intro exchanges its ambient membrane for a structure which gallops with loops in rodeo weaved in a meshing of good lively electronic percussions and jumping sequences. At times, and if we have imagination, one will believe to hear this electronic train of Kraftwerkin TEE. This 2nd line of rhythm moves on with its double, deepening an electronic rhythm forged in creativity. The train of trance goes out of breath after 11 minutes. Flooded by electronic effects and, afterward, by long hollow drones, it tries to reconnect with scattered pulsations that circular electronic effects maintain in quiet mode. A huge cloud of sonic drizzle covers the ambiences of a heavy veil of astral serenity, entailing Trance Location towards a meditative finale where are strolling some lost chords of which the resonances draw ambient harmonies which fade in this wide wall of hollow winds. A delicate movement of sequences makes glitter its keys which sparkle like an astral brook, giving some more seraphic depth to a track which has presented us both extremes of the electronic hymns from the vintage years, but in a more contemporary envelope.
So ends the first chapter of Indra's Archives. RUBY FIVE is doubtless the most realistic album of the emergence of Indra in 2005. Except for Genesis of Pan, which can please for sure the lovers of ambient music, the 5 other tracks would have figured quite well on a possible Volume 3 of The Call of Shiva. This says all about the prolificacy of this artist who allies abundance and quality without weaknesses in the same phrase.
Sylvain Lupari (February 24th, 2016) ***½**
Available at Indra Bandcamp