| Artist: The American Dollar Album: Ambient One & Two Released: 27 June 2009 & 20 June 2010 |    |
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For their albums Ambient One (63'00") & Ambient Two (57'15") The American Dollar leaves behind their post-rock sound - or do they? The duo of John Emanuele and Richard Cupolo have been performing and releasing their wonderfully subdued and atmospheric rock music as The American Dollar since 2005. The two ambient releases remix and re-imagine their more contemporary recordings into two volumes of intelligent and engaging mind music. The listening experience remains active as their spacey thought tones move swiftly across an imaginative aural terrain. With the drums and crescendos removed, The American Dollar renders 30 beautiful pieces for guitar and keyboard across two discs. Grand piano chords play beneath thick synth strings while bells chime and metallic ringing fills out the always-moving structure. Hollow synthesizer patches swell then dip below fluid guitar leads in this most active and embracing style of contemporary instrumental music. From bright timbres and vivid textures to dark tones and slow deep breaths of sound, on their two so-called "ambient" releases The American Dollar creates some of the most intriguing and positive instrumental music of their era. It will be difficult to leave this music playing in the room as sonic wallpaper. Through their intricate detailing, catchy chord changes and ear-soft rhythms Ambient One and Ambient Two deservedly asks for the listeners attention.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 27 January 2011 | |
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