Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  Of Things Unending by Sonicbrat


Of Things Unending cover art

Artist: Sonicbrat
Title: Of Things Unending
Catalogue Number: No catalogue number
Review Format: CD
Release Year: 2008



There is a whole lot of ambient electronica type music out there. All the way from Singapore comes this release from Sonicbrat and it comprises ten tracks of remarkably gentle instrumental music.

Instrumental albums are quite difficult to listen to critically and this one was no exception. When you are used to hooks and choruses, the more mannered development of musical themes can take a bit of getting used to.  However, if you think of it more like classical music where each song is a movement, a part of the whole then the individual tracks do start to make more sense. In terms of sonic style, Bluesbunny started thinking of Vangelis at the start but over the course of the album, the more mellow moments of Ryuichi Sakamoto seemed to provide a better parallel. You can't really describe Sonicbrat's music as cold or robotic either as you get drawn into it. "Whispers in the Mist" makes you think of children playing with toy robots while "Dreams of a Butterfly" makes you think of pony rides on the beach when you were a kid. Music is a personal thing so, as they say, your mileage may vary. The songs we have highlighted might mean something entirely different to you when you hear them but that is surely the point. Electronic music does not mean that all emotion has been removed. Good music just cannot be created without some sort of emotional involvement.

In a way these songs are like little fairytales. A bit twee and simplistic at times, they turn out to be quite comforting to you as time passes and this album will do very nicely for those quieter, more contemplative moments of your life. Maybe Bluesbunny is getting a bit sentimental in his old age but "Of Things Unending" was a warm and enjoyable album


www.myspace.com/s0nicbrat
Reviewer:
Review Date: April 7 2008