HORSE PALACE

Guilty pleasures.

I had the misfortune or luck to have read Horse Palace's ,2013, "L'Antivierge" intentions for this release. In short an ode to what nowadays may seem like soft-porn movies, although it is quiet evident it has to do especifically with the highly famous and profitable "Emmanuelle" saga and without question to its original heroine the exquisite Silvia Kristel, which graces the art cover, shamelessly and pruriently but also kind of stupidly, anonymous. (Horse Palace does not mention neither the movies nor the actress yet, I repeat, he emphasizes it stubbornly.)

Anyway, this could actually be a tribute to one of Emmanuelle's movies, that had to do with her taste for being seduced and mistreated by an oriental old stud, which teaches her some, then very daring, sexual practices. These movies I repeat were a worldwide sensation, so if you can picture it you will be thrilled by this musical project in terms of early sexual arrousement attached with exotic (oriental) and cliched extravagances and of course sweat and buckets of fluids.

So, as I mentioned, I read the conceptual intention and can not listen to it without remembering beautiful and innocent "Emmanuelle" seduced and submitted by this oriental and mysterious old-despot . Anyway I throughly enjoy these "postcards" of early and confusing sexual awakening!

**** 4 PA stars.

Ambients in opposition!

Horse Palace, an anonymous musical formation released in 2007, "Horse Palace" its first project which invites its listeners with fluent and hypnotic melody lines played by a chainsaw like synths/orchestra. Nightmarish and penetrating nevertheless.

If it will help, probable listeners, these electronic/drone/noise/symphonic environments, are nostalgic and bittersweet yet full of beauty. This happening due to the astounding contrast between factory like sounds and insistent as peaceful backdrop melody lines.

The distribution of tracks is flawless, each one enhances each other, therefore the listening experience is rich as opposites rest in balance, and peaceful is peaceful and restless is restless, like day and night or both simultaneously.

Memorable, daring, uncompromising and perfectly written, as to be quiet friendly once you are caught in its chaotic insides.

Easy ****4 PA stars.

And to make it easier, you can download it in the "pay what u want" mode at Bandcamp. No excuses not to indulge.

A seminal project from Montreal, delivering a large collection of ultra melancholic minimalism electronics than can ravish fans of Eno's ambient works. It could also be a nice musical exploration for those who are into droned based efforts from New Zealand's electronic scene and poetic, abstract experimentations of Tim Hecker, Daniel Menche, Andrew Chalk...Each composition develops its own atmosphere, always catching the essence of the most "fragile" / "purest" parts of existence, thanks to wide range of electronic combinations, long mysterious textures and electric, "noisy" arrengements. Gorgeous, elegiac, breathtaking pieces without being soporific (always taking high the emotional tension), providing deep repeating figures, dynamic continuums. "Keso" is a majestic, celestial atmospheric piece for loops and guitar scintillations. "Sleep" is a darker hymn, featuring a heavy lugubrious, intoxicated ambience. "Friendly Neighbors" is a more relaxed acoustic excursion throw deep introspective sounds built on the guitar's minimalist melodies and long monotonous electronic waves. "Kallisti" is a totally absorbing abstract soundscape, featuring loops and e-guitar manipulations: efficient and beautifully immersive. "To Pauline & Petra" is a densely textured electronic composition...Clearly a new revelation and highly recommended!