| Artist: Jonn Serrie Album: Lumia Nights Label: Neuronium Records |  |
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Jonn Serrie creates music that is irresistible to the ears and calming to the mind. Over the course of his illustrious career in Spacemusic, Serrie has released highly personal musical statements - albums dealing less with the challanging mysteries of space than with its moving and inspirational grandeur. On Lumia Nights (58'44"), Serrie's musical charisma is on full display. This has got to be one of the most diverse albums of EM ever released. Ranging from the smooth deep space excursion of "From Here To Eternity" (8'53") to the all-synth cover version of Jonny Mercer's "Autumn Leaves" (5'13"), and back to the sparkling synth swells, breathy native flutes and deep dancing bass tones of "Lumahai" (7'57"), the nine tracks on Lumia Nights cover enormous Spacemusical territory. With the track "Deep Mystery" (6'39") and its washes of surf, warm synth pads, crystaline lead narrative and sincere mood, Serrie's form easily crosses between new age and interstellar music. "Tide Pools" (5'48") is tightly arranged and focused right down to the windchime accents, subtle rhtyhm track and focused melodic content. Along with these more traditional realizations, Serrie also explores an area rarely visited by electronic musicians: Sex. "Starshower" (7'34") begins innocently enough with glittering aural startrails and crossmodulated rumblings, but then the slithery bassline, soft sensual beats and fluid chords move lewdly under a reverberant and suggestive female voice whispering sweet nothings and breathless erotic crys. It's all quite subdued but nonetheless it's pretty suggestive stuff. Perhaps this is his most provocative piece? Maybe, but what it's doing is pleading with us to lighten up and put some romance in our lives! After all, while he's putting together his albums, Jonn Serrie is having a fun time of it... as should we while listening.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 5 June 2003 | |
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