Robert Rich & Faryus - Zerkalo [Faria Records - 2008]Zerkalo brings together US Ambient legend Robert Rich and Russian Ambient artists Faryus for a dark and organic lined trip into a strange gloomy & ritual tinged sonic universe. Through the albums hour long running time the pair slowly but surly pull you deeper and deeper into this vast subterain, midnight and strange murky world. Building the dense tracks around heady black drone work, deep gong tone, haunted flute drifts, shimmering yet subtle percussive elements and building atmosphere /tension. Harmonic traces flit and weave through the heady darkness, but nothing ever truly firms up or defines its self. The key here is swirling dark mystery that you have to let yourself get slowly soaked in by like a sponge soacking up black ink. Towards the end of the album a more eastern and spacey tinged air surfaces with some brighter sonic treads, but it still keeps a very heady mysterious and darkened vibe, never fully stepping out of the shadows into the sunlight. Like with all of Rich’s collaborative efforts he’s once more seleted another great sonic companion to work with here. The pair managing to build a very heady, haunting and dark work of sonic beauty and mystery. Roger Batty
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