 |
 |
|
 |
|
Binkelman's Corner by Bill Binkelman |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bill Binkelman is a long-time icon in the industry. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Little Verses: Angels Without Wings |
| By William Edge |
| Label: Sounds Blue Music |
| Released 9/1/2006 |
|
| Little Verses: Angels Without Wings tracks |
1. Angels without Wings 
2. Radiation Warning
3. Long November
4. Lullaby Frequency
5. Daughters of the Violin
6. Nursery Song for Alija
7. Clouds and Stars
8. Desert Wind
|
9. Fire on the Horizon
10. Blue Sky
11. Red Sky
12. Return of the Harvesters
13. Hunter Ship
14. Oasis
15. Dawn
16. Nursery Song for Jonah
17. The Last Spring
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Little Verses: Angels Without Wings |
|
|
|
|
|
William Edge, he of the science fiction-themed electronic music, is at it again (this time recording as Little Verses). However, while this CD does present yet another science fiction storyline, the music on Angels Without Wings is far removed from previous releases such as Breathing Without Air, Journey to the Edge, or Edge of the Universe. Where those recordings featured liberal rhythms and overt electronica/EM elements, Angels Without Wings is a quiet and subtle album, much closer to an ambient aesthetic or perhaps drifting spacemusic. Gone are the un-syncopated beats and (for the most part) eerie alien-esque blooping and bleeping, replaced by subdued synth washes, pads, tones, textures and subtler outer space/SF noises. Fans of his previous releases will catch a glimpse of familiar synthesizer/keyboard sounds, but a lot of what's here is either new or so re-tuned that one might not connect it to Edge. With all that upfront analysis out of the way, I can testify that I love this CD and it's now my favorite recording from this artist, whom I respect more with each release.
As usual, the storyline for this release displays Edge's unbridled imagination, once again containing his trademark blend of dystopian pessimism tempered by a slight hope for a better future despite indications to the contrary. The storyline is detailed in the liner notes and on his CD Baby page so I won't recount it other than to say it's as imaginative as his other albums.
From the opening sorrowful title track ushered in by reverbed bell tones, swirling keyboards, and mournful horn-like synths to the closing The Last Spring and its synth washes and somber classic spacemusic keyboards, Edge takes the listener on a plaintive yet often beautiful journey, traveling deep into space but always suffusing the music with emotion and humanity, no matter how overtly electronic a song’s components may be. As usual, the artist has packed the CD with a large amount of music (seventeen tracks, varying from just over three to eight minutes in length), so you are getting your money's worth. The quality is there too, from the panning sonar-like tones on Radiation Warning, to the chorales (reminiscent of Constance Demby) of Long November to the delicate fragile beauty of the piano and keyboards on Nursery Song, to Fire on the Horizon and its quiet Berlin-esque sequences set against eerie effects and synth washes, to the layers of floating synth pads on Return of the Harvesters and the heavily retro synth sounds of Dawn In all cases, Edge displays spacemusic music chops aplenty.
I was blown away at this new side to an artist whom I thought I knew well. Little Verses is an excellent recording, one of the more achingly heartfelt and evocative recordings in the spacemusic genre I've heard in years. Edge really takes you inside the emotions of his story. There is a subtle but pronounced sadness present on most tracks, which makes all the sense in the world considering the storyline (sorry, I’m going to keep you guessing until you read it yourself). I also appreciate how he mixes up his assorted synths to instill variety in the music yet also manages to maintain album continuity via a general low key serene melancholy throughout the CD. By occasionally using more familiar (meaning from previous releases) keyboard and synth sounds, Edge also ties Angels Without Wings to the universe he has more or less created through his previous albums. Finally, while there are moments when I flashed on other artists, once again (as on previous albums) Edge manages to sound wholly original (the subtle jazz/blues feel to Oasis is a perfect example of what I mean). One of the best "late night" CDs of recent years, especially if you are a SF fan, Angels Without Wings earns a highly recommended from me with room to spare.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rating: Excellent  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- reviewed by Bill Binkelman on 11/10/2006 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
