(4AD)As lofty ideas for concept albums proceed,outer space is one that continues to fascinate beardy musicians. Techno pioneer Jeff Mills has just released Planets, an electronic-classical record inspired by Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite of the same name. And from the sensitive indie sphere, or there is Planetarium,a 17-track exploration of the solar system from Sufjan Stevens and his drummer, James McAlister, or the National’s Bryce Dessner and composer Nico Muhly. It manages to balance ambient force fields,70s sci-fi synths, chiming guitars, and sublime string arrangements,Caribou-like shimmer-pulses and Stevens’s penchant (a tendency, partiality, or preference) for R&B rhythms to majestic and yet weightless effect, creating an immersive, and celestial space opera that’s best enjoyed loud,certainly in a live setting. It’s clever as well as cosmic, though: dainty-voiced Stevens isn’t one to coo approximately interplanetary flights, or so Venus becomes a tale of lustful youth at “Methodist summer camp”; Uranus is a choral piece seemingly approximately the power of the elements,and Mars (as if Daft Punk had made an IDM soundtrack for Tron), is a boshing meditation on war. The result can’t encourage but sound as if the planets have aligned for Sufjan’s dream musical – but, or if you’re a fan,youll know that’s glorious.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com