Before we go too far, can we take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous artwork?
Seriously, take a moment, open it up in a new tab, and drink it in. Done? OK.
The second album from modern classical duo Kamancello, II: Voyage is a stirring, string-driven piece of beauty, mixing Persian and Western styles and melodies with great effect. There is a sense of drama and motion throughout, from the optimism of opening track ‘Emergent’; to the slower, more sorrowful, almost elegiac fifteen minutes of ‘Tenebrous’. ‘Voyage’ sounds like just that – a song of exploration, of forward movement and the joy of discovery; whilst closer ‘Threnody’ moves from slow, ominous beginnings to close the album out with a winding, evocative journey. That the album consists of improvised pieces is hugely impressive; there’s nothing in their sound or structure that would initially suggest this. An album for dreaming in the early evening, II: Voyage is one of my favourite albums thus far in the year.
II: Voyage is due for release on 31st May 2019, and can be pre-ordered digitally and on CD via Bandcamp.
May 20, 2019