Terje Isungset - Igloo [All Ice - 2006]The Ice hotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden is surely one of the seven man made wonders of the world, built each year in the winter purely out of ice, then as the spring comes on left to melt. Igloo is recorded and made purely in and around the ice hotel, only human voice and ice it’s self, are the used as instruments. The album comes wonderfully packaged in a ice like slip case, the booklet made with beautiful with see through art paper, there’s even a icicle like tube down the inside of the jewel case, so a really eye catching and unequal item. Sadly the music it’s self doesn’t live up to the Packaging promise- too much of it just seems to wonder through xylophone type tinkling, cool tone soundscapes- trying to sound haunted, along with various slashing and other icy sounds. All toped with Eskimo like vocals, that try to sound mystically. None of the tracks seems to have much of a structure or end point, they appear tinkle around for a bit, little bit of vocals, then end. It’s a real pity because I really wanted to like this, as the concept is great, and could have worked well. But sadly there seems little or any musically thought behind it, nice as background music and a novelty item, but beyond that sadly lacking. Roger Batty
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