ERGINE / EPIMER

Aidan Baker's 2016 "Ergine/Epimer" turns out to be somehow uneven yet intriguing but above all hard to rate impartially. A 2 long compositions release which presents mirror alternate versions of the same.

The first "original" 2 tracks are constructed dronescapes which differentiate from their twin Ambient Versions by being accompanied by acoustic drums which , by the way, are an integral part of Aidan Baker's instrument playing skills repertoire, alongside cello, bass and of course guitars and synths.

Even though as an outsider I could not state which came first the egg or the hen, both "original" versions do not do the trick for me and although Mr. Baker is an expert drum player here the drumming seems to hold back both tracks.

Following up or constructing these kind of dronescapes with an acoustic drum set, ends up in a kind of military march feel, which more than just that, but because of the lack of more creative solutions of the same, overshadows what it was supposed to be following or constructing. He is not the first one to attempt this and ironically he is not the first one to end up playing this military like drum-marches.

In some way, I think, that is why mirror drum-less versions were included in this release, but then again the egg or the hen?

Now the the saddest part of the whole experiment is that with drums or without them the music composition as such lacks really enticing melodic lines as he usually delivers but of course humanly impossible always. And this one rests on the second "not always" category.

Now as far as rating it, I as always, rate any releases with a self created and original musical language no less than 3 stars, this project more than once goes upward that constellation but short of 4.

***3.5 PA stars.