Alejandra & Aeron - Billowy Mass

from Vital Weekly # 592:

Alejandra (Salinas) and Aeron (Bergman) debuted in the mid 1990s with a unique combination of Spanish folklore and traditional tales and electro-acoustic/environmental recordings. 'Billowy Mass' consists of 'Campanas' (a reworking of their sound installation from 2001, the first 6 tracks) and 'Billowy Mass' (another installation dating from 2005, the final 2 tracks). Even though there is a track index on this CD, the music sounds like it's one comprehensive composition. Campanas features Spanish spoken word fragments, the sound of bells and snippets of (environmental?) sound, based - like other Alejandra and Aeron works - on Spanish folklore. In ancient times bells often were the only form of communication between people and villages and were used to ward off evil spirits and to warn for heavy storms. Billowy Mass continues this theme as it was recorded during the typhoon season in Taiwan. Even thought they were recorded 4 years apart, the two installations go well together. The Campanas tracks are slightly more subdued compared to Billowy Mass. Combined they make up this rather short (34 minute) CD, which creates a wonderful, often mesmerizing, almost slow-motion ambiance like you're actually in the sound, rather than listening to the sound. A major achievement for Alejandra and Aeron, who, with this release, have made one of their best-ever CDs.

(FK)

Label: Kning Disk
Cat. #: KD024
Format: CD
Release date: 2007

Tracklisting:
01 - Campanas [I] (1:20)
02 - Campanas [II] (3:46)
03 - Campanas [III] (1:55)
04 - Campanas [IV] (6:05)
05 - Campanas [V] (4:16)
06 - Campanas [VI] (3:35)
07 - Billowy Mass [I] (7:34)
08 - Billowy Mass [II] (6:03)

Links:
Alejandra & Aeron
Kning Disk