LEAVES NET

This album closes an ambient trilogy started with "The Hidden Spring" and continued with "Le Stanze Della Trascendenza" (Apsaras is a collaboration and even if released in the middle it's not part of the trilogy.

As in the previous two albums, this "dronescape" project is a mixture of natural sounds electronically manipulated. "Still Rapture" is based on a loop. I think the original sound it's a cello. some "natural sounds" (wood, water, steps) behind. "Breathing Again" is very similar (same structure) but different. We can also hear monkeys, birds and other jungle animals. It's like walking in a tropical rain forest. The mood is similar with "First Perception" but this track is more structured and contains more different sounds. The water which comes after about two minutes gives the idea of something primordial, sensation enhanced by wooden flute and wood xylophone. A great drone, this one, with the xylophone taking the part that in a Tangerine Dream or Vangelis track would have been performed by a keyboard effect. Dreamy with the voice in the final which adds a touch of hypnosis.

The title track is darker in terms of sounds with loops, tapes and small percussion in evidence. A nice drone less "natural" than the others. "A Chaos of Desire" starts as a follow-up to the previous track, but after few seconds it's clear that the ambient is different. Less dark, with sequenced vocals and again natural sounds. What seems to be a keyboard could be any instrument electronically manipulated. In some moments the whispered vocals can give the idea of a Sabbath or better, of a primeval ritual. "A Fragment of Fire" is a very evocative title. The music is initially too "cool" to remind to fire, but behind the main chord (wooden flutes?) some little sounds advance in crescendo. Being it just a "fragment" we can't expect a burning building. The distant thunders behind the flutes give me the idea of an incoming storm instead. However this is part of a "Fire Trilogy" as the next track is entitled "The Way Of Fire".

No thunders now, and a more dark environment to which some bells, likely a triangle are added. Respect to the dutch Phrozenlight, Alio Die's drones are more rich of sounds and even in tracks made of a single chord, the variations are suggestive and never boring. After about 3 minutes the thunder reappears for a couple of times, probably a connection to the previous track. The mood is similar to TD Zeit, or to the pink period in general.

"Concerning Simple Fire" closes the trilogy. Now the rumor of a little fire is clearly listenable. The percussive sound seems to be a stone that a primitive man is using to light the fire. All those sounds go to the background while something similar to edited cello and a sitar take the main scene. Crickets and cicadas say that it's night. Try to imagine somebody lighting a small fire in a wood to warm his night.

"Regeneration" is opened by percussion and various noises. There's some melody in the background, but the track has the typical aspect of an ambient drone. It's a dreamy soundscape. It's like the primitive man is now sleeping. The atmosphere seems more spacey but the echoed bell sets up the environment to a dream full of things . Not properly a nightmare, but some of the sounds don't give the idea of a relaxing good dream. I love this track for the sensations that it can give birth to.

The closer ,"Desire", represents maybe the wake-up. A nice one. Female vocals and gamelan like percussion (not too invasive), then bells. It's a great track and an excellent closer for an album which doesn't deserve less than 4 stars.