Andy Bell 、 Masal - Tidal Love Numbers - Import CD

Credits:

Andy Bell, Masal

Description:

Equally inspired by the spectral jazz of Alice Coltrane and the ambient minimalism of artists like Harold Budd or William Basinski, shoegaze master Andy Bell and English harp/electronics duo Masal teamed up to create the four lingering instrumentals that comprise Tidal Love Numbers. The musicians met when they played a show together in 2022, and they bonded in particular over how moved they all were by Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points collaborative 2021 album Promises. While not quite as spartan as Promises could sometimes be, Tidal Love Numbers communicates in a similar emotional language, expressing glimmers of hope, fear, disappointment, and acceptance in its drawn-out, meditative soundscapes. The four pieces here all have longer than usual titles (inspired by Felts tendency for wordy titles) like "The Slight Unease of Seeing a Crescent Moon in Blue Midday Sky," zeroing in on specifics that might not be directly apparent in the free-form songs themselves. While these titles sometimes offer a road map, Tidal Love Numbers real gift for expression comes in the brilliant arrangements. While the songs meander, theyre intentional and restrained, waiting for precise moments to introduce new sounds or shift the overall dynamics. "Murmuration of Warm Dappled Light on Her Back After Swimming" is the albums longest track, but even at nearly 15 minutes long it never drags. This is due to how thoughtfully the song is paced, gliding through sections of Al Johnsons cloudy electronics and Bells pulsating guitar loops before creating a clearing for Ozlem Simseks harp to become the main focus. Later in the song, a similar space is made for a pronounced synth lead to come out of nowhere and guide the tune through its next transition. This careful construction happens throughout the album, the trio sometimes pitting fuzzy guitar noise against angelic harp plucks, and even building into an anthemic rhythm on the Ashra-reminiscent closing track, "A Pyramid Hidden by Centuries of Neon Green Undergrowth." While the familiar songwriting voice Bell brought to so many Ride songs can be heard faintly in the more melodically driven tracks, the album feels like a very even collaboration between the three players. Its hard not to think of ambient harpist and composer Mary Lattimores work in the delay-washed harp sounds, which are nicely adorned by Johnsons ever-changing electronics and Bells adventurous guitar tones. While its not quite the spiritual ambient jazz that initially inspired it, Tidal Love Numbers occupies a beautiful separate space of its own making, inviting listeners to walk along on its quiet quest for understanding. ~ Fred Thomas

Tracklisting:

1.Murmuration of Warm Dappled Light on Her Back After Swimming
2.The Slight Unease of Seeing a Crescent Moon in Blue Midday Sky
3.Tidal Love Conversation in That Familiar Golden Orchard
4.A Pyramid Hidden by Centuries of Neon Green Undergrowth