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Hammock - Kenotic


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Kenotic (Kenosis) – the old Greek word that stems from the noun "kenos" - empty.
Kenosis is an idea in which God "empties Himself" and creates the word of himself. The idea says that our duty is to do the same what God did, and to be glorified as He is. As Brian Baker of Amplifier Magazine states the music is "a perfect combination of the swirling, amorphous beauty of ambient music and the passionate pulse of electronica". We should start with this statement to describe the music of Hammock and the creation such as "Kenotic". Many CDs becomes rejected and forgotten in the course of listening to so many of them a week. Kenotic is addictive in every respect. Sixteen wonderful tracks covered in the veil of mystery. Two minutes long intro - Before The Celebration. The sounds served by Hammock perfectly fill the emptiness – kenosis. The Air Between Us, Through A Glass Darkly : the latter track is a masterpiece. Not knowing much about making music on the computer, I can't say much : still the fact the whole studio consisted almost of one such toy only makes the impression even greater. The most moving and memorable are Through A Glass Darkly, Winter Light, Wish and What Heaven Allows. The whole CD constitutes an entity which is impossible to listen in parts. There are no vocals apart from gentle moans and some unintelligible verses spoken on What Heaven Allows. In spite of that Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson make amazing music. As they write themselves, their music is influenced by Brian Eno, Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, Slowdive, Sigur Rós, My Bloody Valentine and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. And truly, Kenotic has a lot in common with ambient, a bit of GY!BE post-rock, a bit of shoegaze squeak of MBV and with incomprehensible moans of Sigur Rós. The CD is definitely a milestone of alternative music, one step higher than Godspeed You!Black Emperor. I'm not trying to discriminate the Montreal scene here as it wipes out with its achievements, but I compare. Kenotic is a creation everyone should have a contact with, at least once, to learn the magic of the sounds.

Tracklisting:
1. Before the Celebration
2. The Air Between Us
3. Through a Glass Darkly
4. Blankets of Night
5. Winter Light
6. Miles to Go Before Sleep
7. Wish
8. Overcast/Sorrow
9. Glacial
10. Kenotic
11. Stars in the Rearview Mirror
12. You May Emerge From This More Dead than Alive
13. What Heaven Allows
14. the Silence
15. Dawn Befins to Creep
16. Rising Tide

Author:
Translator: _lin
Add date: 2006-03-01 / Music reviews




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