FOVEA HEX

Founder Simonds originally became a critically acclaimed musician and vocalist when she was a member of the cult Irish psych-folk band Mellow Candle, who released their only album back in 1972 when she was only 15 years old. She also was a background singer for Mike Oldfield's classic albums 'Tubular Bells', 'Hergest Ridge' and 'Ommadawn'. All of these years later, she has returned as the founder of Fovea Hex supported by Robert Fripp, Brian Eno, Steven Wilson, David Lynch and others. With friends like that, how could you not be amazing?

Fovea Hex is a collective, and each of the previously mentioned artists have either guested on the past albums and EPs or, in Lynch's case, performed live as part of his exhibition known as 'The Air is On Fire'. In 2011, the collective released it's only full-length album, the absolutely beautiful and breathtaking 'Here is Where We Used to Sing'. It is definitely a crime as to how this album has been ignored by the public, including progressive and experimental music lovers. Critics, on the other hand, have only given acclaim for this album and for the various EPs the band has released.

The album is quiet, lovely and also very ominous. Vocal harmonies are stunning, as in the track 'A Hymn to Sulpher', a tense and quietly throbbing piece of art that will sweep you away into the dark waves of the Irish sea, sucking you in to it's dangerous, but somehow comforting blackness, but you'll notice that you go along willingly. The violin/synth drones overlayed by a pensive piano will also lure you away even with this short and melancholic instrumental "Love for the Uncertain". If ever there was a siren, it would be in Simonds beautiful vocals as in the album opener 'Far From Here' and the stunningly beautiful 'Jewelled Eyes' with harmonies that come straight from heaven. Other songs like 'The Diamonds' and 'Brisance, My Baby' will also remind one somewhat of Dead Can Dance especially in their drone-like texture and minimal structures that allow Simonds vocals to shine even more distinctly. Her vocals are somewhere between ethereal and down to earth placing her in a position that is only unique to her.

This album, with its beautiful instrumentation and vocalizing, is my favorite from 2011. Personally, I've always placed it closer to a progressive folk sound more than an electronic sound, but there is a mix of both electronic and acoustic here that tends to lean more towards the folk and otherworldly sounds of Current 93 and Dead Can Dance, with enough psychedelic feel to easily feel at home among bands such as these. It still amazes me at how many people are unaware of this band. As for myself, I highly recommend this album, but for lovers of electronic and/or folk music, you'll immediately want to hear everything else by the band. It's time that this collective no longer goes unheard.

In the case of "Bloom", this EP is the first of a trilogy of EP that were released collectively named "Neither Speak Nor Remain Silent". This particular EP enlists the help of Brian and Roger Eno, movie soundtrack artist Carter Burwell (The Big Lebowski and Being John Malkovich) and Andrew McKenzie (Hafler Trio). The EP only consists of 3 tracks totaling just over 17 minutes.

The music is reminiscent of the electronic/folk styles of "Current 93" in their most ambient states. And just like Current 93, the music is considered progressive electronic, and because of this, it remains hidden away from prog-folk music lovers that don't venture beyond that genre.

The EP starts with the track "Don't These Windows Open?" which is a mostly acapella track of layered wordless vocals. A main vocalist sings a lyrical melody over the top of this. The layered background vocals almost become drone-like. This is a pensive and beautiful song, and leans completely in the prog-folk realm.

The middle track is the 9 minute "We Sleep You Bloom". It starts with an ambient drone and occasional chime-like sounds. A keyboard rises out of this sound building some intensity. Harmonized, processed vocals start as a sparse sounding drone goes on underneath. Sustained notes change tones as singing continues. The feeling is icy cold, yet beautiful and expansive. The vocals are quite lovely with a siren-like quality enticing you to come closer, but do so with caution or you will be drawn into an icy grave. The music is at its most intense when there is singing, and becomes quite ambient and atmospheric when the singing stops. The music is completely immersive.

"That River" is the last track. Starting with a harmonium drone which soon turns melodic, the vocals are quite up front this time with intriguing lyrics. Again, the folk leanings are very strong in the vocal melody. After the verses, the music turns ambient and drone-like.

This music is definitely a modern art rock sound. Yes it utilizes electronics on this EP, but has a very strong folk feeling, mostly Celtic in nature, and also experimental, but not really dissonant. The harmonies are lovely, the singing and lyrics are clean and crisp, the instrumentals are minimal and fit the lyrics perfectly. The only drawback, is that it is over much too quickly. But, when combined with the other 2 EPs in the series, it makes for a perfect album. Yet even if it is only an EP, it is 4 star material.

The band records on Wilson's record label. Both Wilson and Fripp contribute guitars on this EP, which is very atmospheric and beautiful. Wilson also contributed treated bass. Their influences and styles are very much apparent on here too as the sound approaches the feel of Bass Communion and also some of Fripp's later music. Fovea Hex has also worked with Brian Eno in past projects. The band is listed under Progressive Electronic. The credit listing only shows traditional and contemporary instruments however, no synths, and the sound is very earthy, folkish and even ambient in some sections.

This is a very beautiful and low-key EP all the way through. Clodaugh's vocals are lovely and fit the music perfectly. It has a slightly Celtic vibe to it, but much more experimental and ambient than what you would expect from Celtic music. There are definitely a lot of treated or slightly processed sounds here, but they work to bring about the overall atmosphere of the music. It is somewhat minimalistic, but not boring in the least. Although it has that celtic vibe to it, it follows no traditional song pattern, and at times is free meter. So it is definitely progressive.

It's too bad it's so short, and it definitely does not wear out it's welcome with only 3 songs spanning about 25 minutes. This is a case where a person would want to get all 3 of the EPs to experience more of this music. The music line up changes and adapts to the feeling of each EP. Even as short of a statement as it is, it is still an excellent addition to any collection.

Fovea Hex, "The Salt Garden 1", 2016 is closer to Prog/Folk or Crossover, tops. This mentioned to set it someplace in PA's sub-genre's universe.

Some, outside of PA's reviewers, comment that Fovea Hex is a genre itself. Quiet daringly, I will add. There is an unexplainable attribute the Irish music scene beholds, that certainly sets them apart, yet holds them up together. This I comment because, even if I try, I can not detach Fovea Hex's music from its Irish roots. Of course there is no demerit in this, yet this holds back any kind of explosive groundbreaking experimental route that could possibly emerge along its direction.

This also comes to mind because Fovea Hex's music also reminds me of Enya's at some distant point, but oddly to Canadian Loreena Mckennitt's musical environments, who may well be included in these PA's archives if measured by the same rule and who in fact is far more daring, music composition wise speaking.

Anyway, beautifully performed and composed "Salt Garden 1", 4 tracks EP, is a dream like, short ride, to some peaceful lands which inhale sorrow and by contrast also exhale light. But above all, it keeps you hooked for more, which could explain the addition of the last track "SOLACE" in an extended Steven Wilson intervened and remixed version, in the limited, 2 cd edition, "not available" package.

****4 PA "EP" stars.

So as I mentioned in my Fovea Hex last review, this is not progressive electronic music as such. So Berlin School expectants, this is even less P/E than their previous compilation.

That established let me make some references to what to expect in this "HERE IS WHERE WE USED TO SING", 2010, release.

The characteristical melancholy of Irish music floats through the air, the ethereal quality of acoustic instruments is ever present and emphasized, so expect remarkable cello playing by the great Julia Kent (honorable guest in this effort) as John Contreras also on cello, alongside founder member Clodagh Simonds' piano and vocals with Cora Venus Lunny's violin threading bright and obcure ambients crossed between female singing and choruses, detailed by the again present Brian Eno and Colin Potter, accompanied here and there with Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo's guitar and Marco Schiavo's drums and percussions.

As far as making some kind of musical comparison I will think of Loreena McKennitt but stripped down to less baroque terms, a much less sugarly coated Enya, tainted with the detached, obscure and sad atmospheres of "Love Is Colder Than Death" or "Black Tape for a Blue Girl" or the closer to prog "No Man" and the ever present "This Mortal Coil's" mutability of personnel and "darkness" in musical language and intention.

****4 PA stars.

"Fovea Hex" a.k.a. Clodagh Simonds (with Laura Sheeran on supporting vocals) an Irish experimental project band is a very well kept secret, so it seems, here in PA. So lucky us electronic enthusiasts this project/band was set here in this prog category.

Anyway, quiet strange that this Fovea Hex "Neither Speak Nor Remain Silent", 2010, a compilation consisting of three earlier individual EPs "Bloom"-2005, "Huge",-2006 and "Allure"-2007, which were put up in a single cd and adapted time wise, has gone unnoticed.

Strange because it features top of the game guests in this prog universe. Therefore to push this crossover/electronic project into any kind of thirsty prog throat, I, inevitably, will reveal the list of honorable guests. Michael Begg, Carter Burwell, Roger Doyle, Brian Eno, Roger Eno, Robert Fripp, Percy Jones, Cora Venus Lunny, Donal Lunny, Andrew Mckenzie, Sarah McQuaid, Hugh O'Neill, Colin Potter, Lydia Sasse and this page's prodigal son Steven Wilson. How is that for a party?

Music wise, as I mentioned, this is just too ethereal, cosmic, obscure and experimental to be called folk even prog's one, unless we are talking about an alternate habitable planet somewhere in a parallel universe where there is a folk/band from a place named surprisingly also Ireland.

If I really need to mention that this release is not just flawless and ground breaking music composition wise, but that involving not only extraordinary musicians, some of them are also 1st class high tech sound engineers, as you will obviously have deducted from this master musicians guest list, therefore it sounds like a sound engineer's heaven.

*****5 PA stars, at least!