| Artist: Twilight Archive Album: Twilight Archive Label: Electrophonica | 
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The self-titled debut CD by Twilight Archive (52'43") (the duo of Tom Vedvik and Chris Mancinelli) embarks upon its journey into moody down-tempo forms with "House of Tomorrow" (5'01"), an opening track which lounges in the noir tinged hues and cues of classic trip hop. Characteristic of this style is a reverb drenched electric piano line running counter to the deep bass bumps and undulating beats making up this music's foundation. Here, during the tense delicacy of the opening section, tracks like "Witness to the Fire" (6'46") and "Lost Where They May Be Found" (7'31"), transform jazz and electronica into a dark trance of modern musings. Casting a shadow of gloomy melodrama, Twilight Archive draws you in to a strangely enticing land of isolation and melancholy... a hazy zone where edgy textures massage the mind while the dark forces of drums and bass lure the body. Interestingly, at a point about two-thirds of the way through this disc, the mood changes. Twilight Archive's skipping percussion loops and bassline substratum recedes into the realm of drifting ambient music. The remaining tracks range from the ethnic infused, contemporary instrumental "Upon Repose" (3'52") to the twisted modulations and dark recesses of "The Netting Wind" (3'44"). With "Dark Matter Mystery" (3'20") and "Lightly Veiled" (4'46"), the listener dwells in a glowing impressionistic landscape of calming chords and softly tinted tones. Yet with the track "A Delicate Subject" (3'45"), Twilight Archive references their noirish influences as ominous voices and eerie effects flutter through this dreamy piece. This album traverses musical mood and technique on a vast scale and deposits the listener in a space significantly different than at the outset.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 29 April 2004 | |