DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT: KI

The first release of the Devin Townsend Project series is 2009's 'Ki', an album bound by the themes of reincarnation, balance, control, and to an extent, restraint; a strong and subtle work announcing a new phase in the creative evolution of Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer Devin Townsend. Initially driven by a desire to release four albums under this project's name, with each having a distinct lineup of musicians in order to represent the distinct characteristics of each release, 'Ki' features quite the interesting roster of collaborators in the face of Duris Maxwell behind the drum kit, Jean Savoie on the bass guitar, and Dave Young handling all the keyboards and pianos, together with a few more additional vocalists, both male and female. Amidst all this, Devin Townsend's role as a creative director and producer of the album sees him working in a more "down-to-earth" environment, utilizing a more organic, raw and punchy production style, in contrast to his usual "wall of sound" sonic presentation.

The music itself is sufficiently experimental and unpredictable, with a lot of acoustic guitars, clean singing, a sturdy and "melodically angry" rhythm section, and a lot of programming, effects and ambient soundscapes, which makes 'Ki' equally impressive, dynamic, and controlled. It seems like this album is driven by the gradual release of power, with most of it written in standard C tuning with the exception of just a couple of songs. This album serves as therapy for its creator, and as much as it feels like healing, vulnerable, and angry, it also exudes a musical sophistication that one could get on a Devin Townsend album. Stylistically, we might be speaking of an experimental rock album with a lot of progressive, jazz, blues and grunge influences, all mixed up rather interestingly to give off a Porcupine Tree-ish feel. With its thirteen tracks, there is a lot to unpack here, but with the subtle intensity of the music, 'Ki' remains one of the most unusual and most rewarding listening experiences of this entire catalogue. Powerhouse entries like 'Disruptr', 'Gato', 'Heaven Send' and 'Trainfire' are counterbalanced by the soothing textures of 'Coast', 'Terminal', 'Winter' and the 7-minute title track, all on an album that is nothing short of excellent and mesmerizing.

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