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Sonar

Black Light

Review by Gary Hill
Imagine combining Djam Karet with California Guitar Trio. You'll probably find yourself somewhere in the range of this album. Like space rock, nothing on this really changes quickly. It's a droning kind of gradually evolving set. It's also quite cool.
 
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Track by Track Review
Enneagram

This comes in very gradually with bits of melody amidst atmospherics. Around the minute and a half mark a new element joins and threatens to take things into more rocking territory. As it gradually comes into being there are hints of something like King Crimson. There is a real driving rock element as this thing works forward. Yes, there are definitely comparisons to be made to King Crimson, but there is also fusion and even a bit of a minimalist kind of approach on hand.

Black Light
This doesn't waste time getting into the midst of it. It's another that's very much tied to a King Crimson sort of sound. There is some killer jamming on this thing. It has some great shifts and changes and some intriguing musical moments. There is a drop back to mellower stuff later in the piece. This is a dramatic cut, making it a good choice for title track.
Orbit 5.7
Coming in mellow and suitably spacey, this is like Crimson-ish space music in a lot of ways at the start. It grows very gradually, like most space music. There is almost a surf music element later in the track. It has a cool groove, really.
Angular Momentum
Energized and dramatic, this is a bit more on the straight-line side than some of the rest. It does have drop backs and things of that nature, though. There are some killer things going on with this piece of music.
String Geometry
This really does feel geometric in an intriguing way. It's another that's a rather straight forward piece. In fact, this has less change than a lot of the rest. There is plenty of great melody and energy, though.
Critical Mass
Ominous and rather dark, this starts with energy and power. There are some almost fusion-like elements later in the piece. Yet it gets lounder and more rocking, too. There are mellower drop backs, too. In some ways this is the most dynamic and diverse thing here. It sure has a lot of differing flavors.

 

 

 
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