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STENDECK:Sonnambula CD Review [TYMPANIK AUDIO] |
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Contributed by Tony Young
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Tuesday, 17 March 2009 |
 A trademark opening for a highly anticipated release; Pitches of bass rise and fall carrying wave upon wave of beats that threaten to trip themselves up but catch themselves before they fall letting the lush synthetic melodies ride over the top of it all.
As usual this is a seamless affair. Space is all but left out between numbers as Ale once again grabs the listener on yet another of his journey’s. This is the fundamental factor to all Stendeck releases; you are taken for a ride through his emotions, almost driven along as a passenger of sorts.
With seventeen tracks in total you certainly have value for money and these numbers just fly by such is the steady pace that also has an essence of urgency to it, letting fly occasionally with soft breaks and thumping bass lines and wiry spangles of sound.
There is distinct pop element to a lot of Stendecks work, which of course detracts from familiar IDM sensibilities and it’s a welcome guest, giving that overall warm sound you get with the radio blaring out on lonely country roads watching firefly’s play in the fields, taking me back to late summer evenings when I drove through Illinois with nothing but music, the setting sun, and flat horizons to concentrate on. It’s something I miss and more credit to Ale for reminding me of those ageless moments in time that reminded me of what it’s like to actually be alive.
Yeah this album had a lot to contend with. Stendeck’s last opus ‘Faces’ was tremendous and was going to take some beating. ‘Sonnambula’ isn’t a better album as such, but more of a excellent follow on; a worthy rewarding listen with Ales penchant for massively long track titles. You have to love him for it.
8.8/10
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