Review Summary: "I go my own way; but your way may go along with mine for a while."
Ambient music is an excellent example of how music tends to carry itself, and Antonio, (the creator of this one-man project) seems to know that well. Maedhro’s
Undome is an organic, earthy, ambient experience, with intentionally lo-fi recordings. It sounds as though the album was recorded spontaneously, with Antonio sitting down somewhere with a mic, a laptop, and an instrument, whenever he felt inspired. Every imperfection is audible, and cleverly construed to create deceptively fragile sounds. The result is a rather charming and intriguing ambient/drone album that should be considered a successful experiment.
Undome is an aimless beauty, its head floating in clouds. Songs consist of simple ambiance with faint melodies, often created by a keyboard, a flute, Antonio’s vocals, or an acoustic guitar. Although songs can hold repetitive sounds, with the same piano notes endlessly played, or the same vocal notes echoed excessively, etc., it hardly ever makes for an uncomfortable listen. Arguably, the repetition makes for an engrossing experience, one that’s relaxing. At first it feels like falling asleep, as waves crush in on one’s consciousness. Ultimately one falls asleep, as the brain seemingly infinitely mulls over the day’s activities. Yet there’s a mysterious unfamiliarity to it all, for no dream is completely ordinary or predictable. The album taps into that hypnotic energy, finding musical bliss.
Make no mistake,
Undome isn’t always a cozy listen - this is intentional. It holds the listener’s hands for half of the album, ultimately letting them go to be ravaged by demons. The nightmare begins with ‘Foul Beast, Dire Warning’, a clever number using a flute warped with effects to conjure an ear-splitting wall of sound. Also deserving a special mention is ‘At The Sound Of Horns’, which bursts in with (wait for it) crushing electric guitar riffs. The album is greatly varied due to its constantly interesting sound manipulations, pulling the listener along for an unpredictable, yet cohesive ride.
Considering the simplicity of the album, listeners will make of it what they will. Perhaps they will find themselves awake again, fully aware of the imperfect sounds that created their slumber. Perhaps the album will be so entrancing that they will never wish to wake. Sleep on it, my friend, you’ll decide in the end.
Editor's note: Maedhros is the project of sputnikmusic user theartofdoom. You can download Undome (legally) here: http://maedhros.bandcamp.com/
