2007 marked the release of ‘Springtime In Nagasaki,’ the first in a series of five releases later named The Five Atomic Seasons which were commissioned by a Japanese survivor of the 1945 dropping of the first atomic bomb. This, the first in the series, describes musically the Spring of 1945 when the commissioner, in his youth, was living in Nagasaki.
 |
| Tangerine Dream: Springtime In Nagasaki |
Interestingly, when one compares this the first release of the series with ‘The Endless Season,’ reviewed here, the final release in the series, a large difference in styles is seen. While ‘The Endless Season’ is typical of the group’s contemporary writing from their independent years, several of the tracks on this release are more akin to ambient writing. In particular, the second track, ‘Navel Of Light Part Two’ follows several of the aesthetic constructs from the Ambient music tradition, creating a soundscape of pseudo-water droplets with brief interjections of classical musical references.
The six tracks which feature on this release emerge from two larger works - ‘Navel Of Light’ and ‘Persistence Of Memory,’ which are both divided into separate parts. Regarding ‘Persistence Of Memory,’ the atmosphere of the music takes on an altogether darker oeuvre, with ‘Persistence of Memory Part Four’ revisiting the idea of the suggested aquatic landscape of ‘Navel Of Light Part Two’ incorporating a revised sound-world which uses more distorted timbres. The writing at this point further develops the music’s connotations, introducing an element of urgency. As an interesting side-note, this is not only due to the writing, but the production also , given the prominence of the brooding bass frequencies within this track.
As ‘Persistence Of Memory’ continues, the listener hears a juxtaposition in character between parts four and five, with the latter reconciling the brooding and dysphoric musical notions of the former with notably easier listening. This continues into the concluding part, which begins in an upbeat style which verges on sounding ‘merry,’ although the music later does suggest a state of blissful naivety, a forerunner to the following releases in the series which suggest the presence of danger and later trauma.
View Tracklisting
No comments:
Post a Comment