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Markus Reuter Oculus

Nothing is Sacred

Review by Gary Hill

Everyone on this release is exceptionally skilled. The majority of them are frequently featured in Music Street Journal reviews. Of course, we have Markus Reuter as the guy whose name is in the group name. Mark Wingfield, David Cross, Asaf Sirkis, Fabio Trentini and Robert Rich round out the group. This music is largely King Crimson like, at least modern touch guitar leaning Crimson. It's all instrumental and freeform. This is all effective and compelling, too. There is a decent range. These songs are all of epic proportions, the shortest of them over ten-minutes long. This kind of music isn't that well suited to track by track reviews, but that's what is required here, so I've tackled it. Suffice it to say that if you like Crimson-like jams without a lot of borders or rules, this is probably for you.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2020  Volume 5. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2020.

Track by Track Review
Nothing is Sacred (Dice II)
This rises up gradually with a spacey, trippy vibe. It gradually moves into noisier, King Crimson-like territory as it continues. The musicians begin exploring from there. The cut is trippy, but also tastefully noisy. There are plenty of King Crimson-like concepts and elements on display. There are some particularly intense moments, too. While this never settles in one place for long, it feels organic in the way it evolves. The changes are never jarring or feel forced. It does get pretty crazed at times, though.
The Occult (Dice I)
As this opens in some ways it's not a big change. That said, there is a real mysterious angle and tone to a lot of this. It has a spacey sort of vibe in the early sections. The number remains a bit mellower than the opener, but it covers some great space territories in the process. The King Crimson thing is definitely in play here, too. While this definitely doesn't become as crazed as its predecessor, it does get pretty intense before it's over. Somehow the music on this really feels like its somehow shaping and warping space at times.
Bubble Bubble Bubble Bath (Wink)
This piece is even mellower than the last one. In fact, it never really gets all that intense or rocking. It does, however cover quite a bit of trippy ground. Spacey, freeform texture drives it, but there are some insistent drum parts.
Solve et Coagula (Ghost I)
Slow moving and also quite trippy, this isn't a huge change. Still, there are sections were the louder sounds rise up over the top like some giant beast towering above the landscape.
Bubble Bubble Bubble Song (Sighs)
There is an almost chorale, soundtrack vibe as this piece starts. There is a mysterious quality to a lot of this number. It's pretty crazed later as the intensity and noisiness is ramped upward. There is a bit of a crazed soundtrack feeling to the closing movement of this, creating a nice bookend approach to the piece.

           

 
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