The Breakdown
This new release on Believers Roast is a collaboration between label creator Kavus Torabi (Gong, Knifeworld, Cardiacs) and Richard Wileman (Karda Estra), consisting of two lengthy pieces that float and weave through myriad cosmic landscapes. Described as “a kaleidoscopic journey into the astral magnetic mind”, part one – ‘Particles of Light’ floats in on a wave of ether before morphing into an acoustic melody with all of Wileman’s simultaneously sinister and uplifting hallmarks, punctuated by Torabi’s cosmic reveries.
It’s a Yin and Yang world and the really interesting magic happens when the two parts collide to form a cosmic soup, where reality melts away and pure dreamscape takes over (or as Max from ‘Hart to Hart’ might put it – “when they met it was moider!”).
The particles of light in question are maybe the sections of “song” that serve to both connect and anchor down the esoteric parts when the floor disappears or the sky opens.
Part two, ‘Derelict Creations’ continues in a similar fashion, opening with a magical musical box motif, sprinkled briefly with the quieter melodic parts of Floyd’s ‘The Wall’. Like in all the best fantasy movies though, shouldn’t really have opened that box kiddo as the portal leads to dimensions baroque, pagan and sinister.
Overtones of Mike Oldfield’s ‘Hergest Ridge’ let rip over madrigal collisions before settling down into more ethereal landscapes, where wafts of serenity maintain an uneasy equilibrium. An ominous pulsing keyboard hints at The Damned’s ‘Curtain Call’ and heralding chaos, then the storm breaks and a euphoric Kavus vocal drenched in arcadian glee breaks the spell and we’re back in the shire in sunshine and birdsong for the final coda.
All in all it’s quite a trip, lifted and propelled by Amy Fry’s haunting clarinet and vocal, alongside oboe and trumpet from Caron Hansford and Mike Ostime.
It’s an album that swoops and soars and one where you might discover new worlds with every listen.
Heaven’s Sun is released on 2nd June, and is available to pre-order now from Believers Roast Records here.
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