Noveller – Desert Fires

When we talk about Ambient music, most people think of music that can be played in the background and ignored. Music that requires zero attention so we can go about our every day tasks without silence….

Noise music; being avant-garde in nature, therefore almost always demands the listener’s full attention, whether through choice or not. It is obtrusive and abrasive. It certainly can create an atmosphere in a room much like Ambient music can, but in a distracting sense rather than a meditative or relaxing sense, such as we require from Ambient music.

For her previous album Sarah Lipstate aka Noveller created something that definitely demanded your attention. It was loud and noisy and at times quite harsh. With her new album “Desert Fires” it feels as though she has attempted to try and reach almost the exact opposite of that. The passages of piercing white noise are gone. The sharp textures are gone. Instead she has created something that is; though still rich in texture and timbre, much more subdued, serene and relaxing. The feeling of anxiety created by the noise on the first record is swapped for a feeling of peacefulness and tranquillity, inner calm and stillness.

Kites Calm Desert Fires

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Opener “Almost Alright” features Jazz like guitar loops over droning bass tone, immediately setting you up for character of the album. Track 2, “Same” starts similarly but descends into more hypnotic territory, with spacey loops ending the piece. Both tracks remind me of a less hyper active Growing with the use of loops and delay. “Kites Calm Desert Fires” is the closest sounding track to that of her previous album, but where as before she would have built the piece up into a fierce wall of decaying melodic noise; here she manages to sustain the drone at a perfect level of shimmering beauty without bringing in the heavy white noise. It’s unclear whether Sarah has naturally progressed or made a conscious decision to keep the noise off this record, and it would be interesting to hear how some of the songs might have sounded if she hadn’t, but this track shows that she can use distortion in a much less obvious way than ever before. At the very tail end of the track there are a few bursts of feedback and noise, but they sound purposeful, bringing the track to a definite end. “Toothnest (for Chris Habib)” is another exercise in controlled distortion. Playful melodies dance around on top of a droning bass riff for several minutes until a solo part is executed on top. The overall sound of this track is dark yet hopeful and I am reminded of a similar vibe I got from the Evan Caminiti album I reviewed. Album closer “Fades” is the sound of gleaming waves lapping up a sun soaked beach created by swelling and swaying sounds that are very intoxicating.

Fades

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“Desert Fires” is an accomplished sounding album. It has very clear ideas that are played out differently from track to track without being too repetitive or bland. The overall feel of the album is that of heat, warmth and sunshine. It is perfect summer evening listening as it creates a mood which is rich and flows with emotions that only come around with this type of weather. I’ve found my self lost in this album several times and it’s easy to see why. It never meanders at a snails pace or relies on simple techniques to cover up un-inspired melodies. There is always something happening that keeps your interest, without it ever becoming too abrasive or disjointed. This is Ambient music that is far from being ignorable, but at the same time can be left to fill a room without demanding a fully attentive listen.

Although I feel that this album breaks no barriers, pushes no envelopes or raises any bars, it shows how Ambient music can be done right simply with good song writing, structure, pace and understanding of atmosphere. There are no gimmicks here; there is just a highly enjoyable listen, whether you wish to pay attention or not. – Review by Daniel J. Gregory for Fluid Radio

Track List:

1 Almost Alright
2 Same
3 Kites Calm Desert Fires
4 Toothnest (for Chris Habib)
5 Three Windows Facing Three Doors
6 Fades

Available from The Noveller store here

www.sarahlipstate.com
www.myspace.com/noveller