Plus: J.P. Kallio, 10 Awful Things About British Festivals That Should Take A Hike and Pierre Masse

Seasons have a way of influencing how we listen to music. The gloomy months bring out that introspective spirit in all of us. I’ve always have this special interest in contemporary instrumental music. It is another genre which I did not ‘force’ myself to appreciate. It came naturally. With music it is both an emotional and mental experience for me. Emotional in a sense that there are tunes that can ‘transport’ me to another place. There are lyrics that make me bawl like a baby. And I am sure this is something I share with musicians. After all, who else knows the secret places inside a tune than the creator of it- the artist?

When Vasilis Chountas a.k.a. Whodoes told me that a new album is out, I got excited because I remember the beautiful experience I had with Dolphins in the Sky. Empirico has nine tracks with varying moods. Everything about it sounds sci fi and a progression of his minimalistic style which he cultivates with Dolphins in the Sky. Would you believe that his main instrument is just the electric guitar? Everything around it was build by the sounds created by that single instrument. Empirico is for fans of soundtrack, ambient, ethnic, experimental and post-rock music. There is also an unmistakable Greek element in the melodies as Chountas is from Greece.

Emprico opens with pulsing sounds as if these are transmission from outer space. There is a sense of urgency underneath the calm rhythmic style. T harkens back to the early days of ambient music created by Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream.

One of my favorite tunes is Memories which is also the carrier single. It has that chill out beats and cinematic feel that could be one of those tunes you hear in a suspense/mystery TV series during the opening credits. I love its gradual style and abstract melodic style. Rain is falling hard outside while I am writing this review and I feel like I am swimming in the seas of pleasant music. All those pulsing, underwater life pulsing around me in the form of notes and beats.

There are other great tracks from this wonderful album including Street Romance, Room Alone and the drum-heavy That Night which reminds me of Portishead. Similar track Lost follows with industrial beats and melodies yearning for a resolution.

If you like Vangelis and other artists I mentioned in this review then you will pick up Empirico.

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Today’s Featured Artist Blog: J.P. Kallio:

I love reading what artists have to say. That is why I often visit their blogs. If I don’t get to read anything from their website then I go ahead and ask them for an interview. My passion for knowing how an artistic mind works can be traced back to my childhood when I destroyed automatic watches trying to know how the cogs and wheels inside work. Don’t worry I won’t do the same thing to your heads physically 😉

http://jpkalliomusic.blogspot.co.uk/

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Meanwhile in other music-related news:

10 Awful Things About British Festivals That Should Take A Hike:

I got this link from NME.Do you agree? What do you think?

http://www.nme.com/blogs/festivals-blog/10-awful-things-about-british-festivals-that-should-take-a-hike

And lastly, a blast from the past:

14 Questions with Pierre Masse

Here is a memorable interview with the young and talented Pierre Masse Posted on September 9, 2010.

https://spheremusic.me/2010/09/09/14-questions-with-pierre-masse/

Have a great weekend friends!