As time marches on inexorably to hit another cyclical benchmark of our calendars, giving way to many forms of celebration and exalted frenzy, we at Hessian Firm will take the opportunity to highlight some musical works that are stylistically deviant from the usual metal diet we tend to promote here (although in perfect conformity with its spirit) and that capture something of the eternal, motionless or at least the human aspiration to attain it through whatever means.
Raison D’Être – Mise en Abyme
On this album, swedish band Raison D’Être undertakes a psychonautic enterprise of a tremendous magnitude, charting the soul from its depths to the most occult summits. Fans of experimental, free form ambient music are already familiar with the method: layers of drones, synth lines and, in this particular case, samples of gregorian chants and harsh industrial noises are successively introduced in order to form a narrative out of flowing soundscapes. Through sheer force of vision, Raison D’Être elevate this compositional form to symphonic grandiosity propitiating mystical rapture. This is the perfect music for the ecstatic engagement with the unconscious and the deployment of active imagination to further enhance the sights that these aural landscapes suggest and effectively evoke.
The Great Voices of Bulgaria – The Great Voices of Bulgaria
This compilation achieves immersion through its comprehensive scope, containing both secular folk music and sacred chants featuring male and female performers conducted by Zdravko Mihaylov. The resulting experience is that of purposeful variety tied by thematic unity. The secular pieces, which display a very unique musicological tradition with very distinct characteristics (unique timbre, rhythms and use of dissonance), exude a vibrant dionysiac energy and a profound maternal adoration of nature, while the liturgical hymns are unmatched in their stern longing for eternity. Such appearances of contrast actually hide a continuity between the states of the soul, providing an holistic and intense portrait of its longings.
Yeghshe Manukyan – Duduk
Entirely weaved from the mysterious and gentle sound of the duduk, the famous traditional woodwind instrument from Armenia, these compositions move in vivid but unpretentious gestures, almost giving the impression of the weightlessness of the wind and perfectly recalling both the languor and the monumental presence of the deserts. An emerging nostalgia finds itself interlaced with the impersonal and transcendental action of Nature, creating an adequate atmosphere for meditative consciousness. As expected, particularly recommended for solitary and contemplative moments.
