Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Fennesz - Seven Stars [Touch - 2011]

Austrian born Christian Fennesz should need little introduction, but for the uninitiated, Fennesz takes control of acoustic guitar, synths, field recordings and computer manipulation to create astonishingly intense soundscapes, incorporating darker and glitchier sensibilities. His earlier works played heavily on the glitch side of things until he started to explore more ‘melodic’ and accessible realms with the likes of his ‘Endless Summer’ album or his collaborations with Japanese artist Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The first track on this 10” hits upon a style very similar to his Endless Summer works, a blissed out piece which focuses entirely on a short acoustic guitar loop as it weaves in and out of the infinite streams of ambience and electronic textures. Weight is added as the track unfolds, the acoustic loop manipulated further and the intensity of the melodies increased, albeit not too much as to drift into the spheres of true outsider music. This is not to detract from the pure musicianship on display; he is a genius when it comes to evoking emotion through electronics, using only the most subtle of organic instrumentation, mainly the guitar and piano.

‘July’ falls back into more experimental territory whilst still retaining the fuzzed out emotional elements found in the opener. The focus is kept firmly on the droning aspects, using this to create the base melody and then dropping in some seriously hefty noise samples which clash and contort and inject the track with shades of darkness. Towards the end the background becomes clearer, the heavily treated instrumentation reveals itself and acoustic guitar comes to the fore once again, an absolutely immersive and stunning track.

Side B starts with ‘Shift’, the track kicking in with mellow synth lines, which eventually become glacial shards of light as you are drawn to follow its ever shifting pattern. The track instantly brings to mind certain elements of Asva, especially segments from their newest work ‘Presences of Absences’ which relies heavily on the piano for their long droning scales, reaching almost operatic crescendos. The title track itself ‘Seven Stars’ sees the introduction of drums courtesy of Steven Hess (Haptic, On, Ural Umbo, Dropp Ensemble) and combines the almost familiar ease of a ‘normal’ pop composition offset with this fuzzy aura which lends the experimental edge, a very uplifting closer and it bodes well for a future full length.

Whilst altogether not the most original or ‘off the cuff’ astounding release from Christian Fennesz to date, ‘Seven Stars’ still packs one hell of a punch. The ease in which he wields his craft and the depth of emotion found in his pieces is a rarity unto itself and now as a well-established musician, his works are now gaining a beautiful wholeness which is very, very addictive indeed. Truly stunning work

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Todd Robinson
Latest Reviews

Fennesz - Seven Stars
Austrian born Christian Fennesz should need little introduction, but for the uninitiated, Fennesz takes control of acoustic guitar, synths, field recordings ...
280324   Typhoon Club - Typhoon Club(B...
270324   Jerzy Skolimowski Collection ...
260324   Latex Choker - Sealed
260324   Occlusion - 59: No Input Wall
260324   Nihil Impvlse - Anabasis
260324   Marta Forsberg - Sjunger För...
260324   The New Boy - The New Boy( Th...
250324   The Stargazer’s Assistant - ...
250324   Liza Lim - Annunciation Trip...
220324   Patrick - Patrick( UHD/ Blu Ray)
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom