Very much in the school of Terry Riley, Be Still is an incredibly rewarding listen.
Very much in the school of Terry Riley, Be Still is an incredibly rewarding listen.
Adrian Klumpes – Be Still
http://www.leaf-label.com/ http://www.adrianklumpes.com/
Very much in the school of Terry Riley, Be Still is an incredibly rewarding listen.
Opener Cornered sets the tone for the rest of the LP. Seemingly on the cusp of leading us somewhere, the piano coda is at first waylaid and then overwhelmed by a ghostly array of electronic tricks. It is a piece full of foreboding. Weave in and Out is a nervous piece which in many (differing) ways repeats itself constantly; the whole thing is rather like watching a video which is paused; momentary flickers promise movement only to leave you the viewer with the same picture. In some ways it’s mesmerising, tense stuff.
Elsewhere, the title track reveals itself to be a beautiful meditation, replete with a rippling piano part. Alone is beautifully icy and Unrest is an exhilarating piece that seemingly changes mood at the drop of the hand. Splendid stuff.
As I said earlier, the LP is very reminiscent of Terry Riley at times, or maybe even Harold Budd; and it’s fair to say that you need to be in the mood for a dose of abstraction. And, in case you need the seal of approval, I like it very much.
Words: Richard Foster.