| Various Artists Album: Passages Released: 17 April 2014 |   |
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Massimo Terranova understands that the music of the night cannot be explained during the day. His work under the name Nova, framer of the wonderful Ultimae Records mixed anthology called Passages (72'29"), presents 12 after-dark explorations of synthetic sound that go as deeply as any music ever has into all the darkest and brightest areas of the human psyche - and the human heart. Also responsible for the two previous compilation CDs Albedo (2005) and Imaginary Friends (2009), on Passages Nova again provides an interesting philosophical skirmish between the chill of smooth drifting Ambient works and the pleasurable rush of grooves and beats. The resulting listening experience gained from Passages can send your mind down an oily black network of ideas and links. Utilizing a range of realizations by the likes of AES Dana, Connect.Ohm, Miktek, James Murray and others Nova arranges the tracks and paces the album with exceptional sensitivity toward the smart listener and the musical energy levels one may desire to be in touch with during the most meaningful moments of a deep-thought night. As notes caper and dance above soft kick drum thuds and commanding basslines the more upbeat tracks hint at mechanical origins but convey a pulsing life force. The thrill of discovery also extends on down into slow motion dreamscapes of timbral motion and atmospheric textures. Imaginative transitions between each artist's contribution and dramatic shifts in tempo and mood show intelligence in this compilation's execution. Although Nova makes no music here of his own, he places, layers and connects the works of others in such a way as to create something entirely his own, something larger than the sum of its parts. Thanks to its production and the music contained within Passages occupies a unique zone, one where it is still possible to feel part of a secret, part of something new and thrilling.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 1 May 2014 | |
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