* Phantom Airship Rec.
Greg Segal : In search of the fantastic (US,2002)**°
78 minutes of music. Most of the first half, about 8 tracks, contains mostly dark tones, soundscape structured textured layers of real live instruments played without (unnecessary) studio tricks creating a clear sound.
Used instruments are bowed device, 12-string acoustic/7-string electric/6-string fretted and fretless electric guitars, Appalachian dulcimer, snare drum, floor tom, cymbal, African slit drum, toy xylophone, tambourine, assorted found percussion, vocals (only on the intro track, based upon a not too clever poem by E.A.Poe) and according to the liner notes "more effects than should be reasonably allowed by law" -a strange remark because no effects being used were trickery although a few tracks (like track 11) used some effects as instruments itself-.
The style of Greg Segal on this CD is close to a lot of genres without fitting in any of them : soundscapes, ambient, experimental music, progressive music (as close it can be, in the real sense of the meaning of this classification), cosmic music, Krautrock ; it is in fact a mixture of all these styles creating its own unique place.
From the moment I think I'm getting the sense of it, from the 9th track on some other ideas occur. Here some loops are used with sounds of nice sounding mining tools, combined in colour with percussion on a track called "The Deros discover King Solomon's mines". (Odd, because I saw a documentary just yesterday about the discovery of those mines). "Sanctuary" just after that uses experimental sounding picked and slide guitar mixed with its dissolving sounds towards environmental sounds. Also "The India-Appalachia Railway" balances from clear acoustic playing (dulcimer, guitars, something that sounds like a violin ? and a string bass instrument) towards a dissolving into the background echoing effects and textured sounds, a track with a more foreground vision in fact. The mood of the CD is changing even more into an enjoyable trip into the unknown. Sounds of background ? layers of loops of nicely interwoven xylophone melodies in "Was it childhood" are filmic both peaceful and with horror are oddly and harmoniously mixed. "The Bad ass side" is psych rock electric guitar dominated, consisting of layers with similar ideas. "Around the healing Spring" is acoustic guitars with an experimental sound of the bass moving towards the foreground while accompanying. The main theme of "The backroads of Time" uses the semi-acoustic effect itself as an instrument. Starting from this point of view forming an interesting context extra layers of electric guitars are added in the next instrumental. At "Wednesday 10 PM" a siren of a faraway factory becomes a travelling around and doomy sound, reshaping itself into various musical ideas with something that sounds like an electric guitar with an accompanying bass, that is always a few steps behind, giving the effect of an ever evolving travelling sound. The second part of that track uses guitar loops as a basic structure, Cluster like. The last track uses a more clearly played guitar with that dominating original sounding bass. These three layers of bass, middle tones and experimental texture defining the second part of the CD mostly original and possibly unique approach I personally have not experienced until now.
The CD's title describe the content well, as "in search of the fantastic". All ideas makes perfect sense and are constantly in within the whole. Order your ticket (or listen to this CD) to experience this trip yourself.
