Following on from their critically acclaimed debut album, the second album from Shackleton / Zimpel represents theculmination of the ecstatic trance urge that has underlined both artists work since they embarked on their singularyet somehow parallel paths.
The duo, consisting of electronic music maverick Sam Shackleton and visionary avant folk virtuoso Waclaw Zimpel,sees them link up with one of Indian Carnatic music’s greatest emerging young vocal talents, Siddhartha Belmannu,to bring an album which is equal parts both a meditative exercise and an urge to transcendence whilst thematisingboth the acceptance of our mortality and the joyous celebration of living.
The artists’ intention behind the album was to make a piece of work that was beautiful, deep and moving and whichengages with the listener in a direct and honest way. Avant and forward looking music which doesn’t rely on cynicalgestures to keep attention or enhance its artistic credentials. Put more simply, it is intended to go straight to theheart.
The album consists of four long form tracks which eschew the traditional verse and chorus structure in favour ofgetting lost within the trance. There are musical cycles within musical cycles whilst diverse time signatures andphrases exist alongside each other in a manner that is in stark contrast to much of Western music tradition. Whilstthis may seem demanding for the listener, the artistry of the musicians and Siddhartha’s beautiful and deeplymoving vocal, for the most part in his native language Kannada, make for a sublime listening experience.
TRACKLISTING
A1. The Ocean Lies Between Us
A2. Your Love Pours Like Water
B1. Everything Must Decay
B2. Relics Of Our Past