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Arovane Tides Released in 2000 8.8/10 Styles Minimalist Ambient IDM Ocean Concept Song Highlights Seaside The Storm Deauville |
Arovane's second album, Tides, is a beautiful work of minimalist electronica. The entire album is ocean themed, and succeeds in bringing it's subject matter brilliantly to life. You can tell that Uwe Zahn has done his homework here. This album is so detailed, yet so minimal. It sounds completely unlike anything to have come out in recent times, save maybe for a a passing resemblance to Boards of Canada. Every sound effect and sample is used to absolute perfection here to create one of those rare albums that has the ability to transport you to a different place and time. For example, the albums centrepiece, the six minute "Storm", does an amazing job of recreating the atmosphere of a ship at sea in the midst of a brewing storm, with it's use of pulsating drums, crashing cymbals and whooshing wind effects. The album has no running narative to speak of, at least not a forced one, yet it is so vividly real that it paints a picture with every track. As I sat back and listened (and you'll want to sit back and listen, completely focused, for full effect), I couldn't help but unconciously create a story around the images so convincingly forming in my mind. The album is a concept album, and it can have a story, but that story completely depends on the mood, imagination and experiences of the person hearing it. This sort of listener participation is a rarity that should never be overlooked. Tides is an astounding work. This is everything minimalist electronica musicians should be aiming for. |