ALBUM REVIEWS
|
|
ALBUM REVIEWS |
|
Lord Of The Ants
QUANTUM VOODOO AD MUSIC 2009 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
Back when Christopher Westcott was 16, someone played Tangerine Dream’s Cyclone to him. The dreamy soundshapes of the German electronic innovators warped the lad’s mind and that was all he wanted to do from then on. Now, a few decades later, he is Lord Of The Ants and indulging his synthesised visions. Not entirely synthesised either, since electric guitar features regularly – either as an organic acoustic sound, a metal chunder or a screaming lead instrument. It adds a familiar grounding, although the electric guitar is as electronic as anything else featured here. The album is varied and stays fresh in the mind instead of the mind wandering off, as can happen on more continous pieces. Each track is distinct and there lies a bit of a problem: His Lordship likes to take it to extremes so, when he uses vocal samples, sometimes he uses too much, when he uses riffing guitar, they jar with excess. Maybe that’s part of his “Voodoo”. And you’ll need to tiptoe past the title – Voodoo here has nothing of the lowdown funk or tropical heaviness of the Louisiana swamps. Likewise, I’m looking for a pun or something to explain Chris’ name “Lord Of The Ants” and I’m just hoping that it’s not a corny play on “Lord Of The Dance”…… Because, if it was that joke, it’d go down “Flatley”…… Other tones turn up – mouth organ, acoustic sounds – and the beats shift but generally stay on the chill-out / come down side of things. This is more on the music than the mood side of the equation and, I’m pleased to say, no sort of imitation of Tangerine Dream at all, being instead Christopher Westcot’s own set of songs played his way. As is customary in electronic music circles, this is generously proportioned at well over an hour. Available as download or CDR direct from the label. www.admusiconline.com |
