Post by thesoundmonitor on Feb 1, 2004 7:29:25 GMT -5
MOUNTAIN MIRRORS
Lunar Ecstasy
(Independent)
Lunar Ecstasy is an original genre-breaking album, in that it's not something easily described. The album ranges from atmospheric sounds to Massive Attack style trip-hop with your more standard acoustic guitar & soft singing tracks. The music takes you on numerous twists and turns throughout dark and beautiful landscapes from your dreams and nightmares.
This is one of those perfect chill-out albums with brief touches of Delerium, Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Massive Attack, Portishead and The Tea Party. Mountain Mirrors finds its own unique style and there is true brilliance in the subtle, minimalist way Jeff Sanders goes about creating this artwork. His songs are quite simple, often only having a couple of soft instruments, but are merged together to create not just music but wild and wonderful visions and stories.
Lunar Ecstasy is the second album by Mountain Mirrors, a follow up to 2002's Improvisations from a Void. There are a number of guest performers on the album that add everything from violins to e-bows to orchestral sounds. The first track 'A Short Burst of Clarity' starts off with a simple techno drum intro and eerie guitar that reminds me of the latest Tea Party album. It's a dark song that will invoke various images in your head. The title track is a song more appropriate for a laid back day at the beach: the type of song you’d play in an open-top car while cruising past the beaches. In the middle of the song there is a pretty cool heavy guitar riff that kicks in, altering the tone of the song nicely.
‘Your Sacred Space’ and ‘Where the Green Meets the Blue’ are acoustic guitar & vocals only. They both are strangely similar to the same type of tracks from bands like Alice in chains and early Stone Temple Pilots. The type of track that is beautiful but slightly freaky at the same time. ‘Where the Green…’ also has a subtle yet effective tribal drum backing.
One of my favourite tracks on the album is possibly the most varied. ‘Apparition’ is pure samples. A very simple beat with atmospheric synth over the top and just a pattern repeated on a keyboard.
But by far my pick of the tracks is ‘Agent Orange’ which switches between a soft Massive Attack / Tea Party style into a dark and brooding chorus. It's not easy to explain something so complex yet so simple, it really has to be heard.
This is one of those albums that a large variety of people are going to love and it doesn't matter what kind of music you normally listen to. The only negative thing I can say about it is that it's a little short and leaves you wanting more. I urge you to check this one out, I’m eagerly awaiting a follow up.
by Nathan Peauril
www.mountainmirrors.com
Lunar Ecstasy
(Independent)
Lunar Ecstasy is an original genre-breaking album, in that it's not something easily described. The album ranges from atmospheric sounds to Massive Attack style trip-hop with your more standard acoustic guitar & soft singing tracks. The music takes you on numerous twists and turns throughout dark and beautiful landscapes from your dreams and nightmares.
This is one of those perfect chill-out albums with brief touches of Delerium, Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Massive Attack, Portishead and The Tea Party. Mountain Mirrors finds its own unique style and there is true brilliance in the subtle, minimalist way Jeff Sanders goes about creating this artwork. His songs are quite simple, often only having a couple of soft instruments, but are merged together to create not just music but wild and wonderful visions and stories.
Lunar Ecstasy is the second album by Mountain Mirrors, a follow up to 2002's Improvisations from a Void. There are a number of guest performers on the album that add everything from violins to e-bows to orchestral sounds. The first track 'A Short Burst of Clarity' starts off with a simple techno drum intro and eerie guitar that reminds me of the latest Tea Party album. It's a dark song that will invoke various images in your head. The title track is a song more appropriate for a laid back day at the beach: the type of song you’d play in an open-top car while cruising past the beaches. In the middle of the song there is a pretty cool heavy guitar riff that kicks in, altering the tone of the song nicely.
‘Your Sacred Space’ and ‘Where the Green Meets the Blue’ are acoustic guitar & vocals only. They both are strangely similar to the same type of tracks from bands like Alice in chains and early Stone Temple Pilots. The type of track that is beautiful but slightly freaky at the same time. ‘Where the Green…’ also has a subtle yet effective tribal drum backing.
One of my favourite tracks on the album is possibly the most varied. ‘Apparition’ is pure samples. A very simple beat with atmospheric synth over the top and just a pattern repeated on a keyboard.
But by far my pick of the tracks is ‘Agent Orange’ which switches between a soft Massive Attack / Tea Party style into a dark and brooding chorus. It's not easy to explain something so complex yet so simple, it really has to be heard.
This is one of those albums that a large variety of people are going to love and it doesn't matter what kind of music you normally listen to. The only negative thing I can say about it is that it's a little short and leaves you wanting more. I urge you to check this one out, I’m eagerly awaiting a follow up.
by Nathan Peauril
www.mountainmirrors.com