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Ralf Rabendorn
Artist:
Ralf Rabendorn
Album Title:
Among Black Hearts
Release Date:
Friday, November 28, 2014
Label:
ContraMusikProduktion
Distribution:
ContraMusikProduktion
Review Type:
CD
Among Black Hearts is the newest pièce d’art by
multi-disciplined artist Ralf Rabendorn: photographer, visual artist,
music composer and performer (multi-instrumentalist and vocalist) and
studio-guru, but he also runs his own Anti-Music label
ContraMusikProduktion, nowadays totally in symbiosis with another great
anti-trendy and anti-commercial, open-minded and
underground-promotional label, Against it Records. Do not get trendy,
don’t limit yourself to, well, limits I think, and do never
ignore the importance of the toothbrush…
Under his own name, Ralf has a solo-outfit that trespasses existing,
artificially created borders, both musically and lyrically. And when it
comes to the latter: mind the cynical, sometimes even sarcastic depth!
I will write a review on the great Exile full length very soon (though
it was released two years ago), but this stuff deals with a new
three-track EP, called Among Black Hearts, which does differ from the
past. And yet, still it’s courtesy of this visionary German guy,
co-inventor of the MedusaDa-style, focusing on ignoring the fear to
experiment. As long as you do not exaggerate, and with inclusion of
some intellect, the result might be shocking. And who am I to dislike
aural shock-effects?
This gets translated by means of this EP, which is more like a
collection of dark-mooded and even melancholic ballads. The opening
song Black Is The Colour is somewhat disturbing at first, for
it’s mainly based, initially, on minimal piano tunes and somewhat
drunk-lullaby’ish voices, eventually joined by modestly funky /
jazzy percussion patterns. It’s like Bowie sonically
reinterpreted by some Avant-garde Rock outfit, I guess. This feeling
gets strengthened by Black Heart, the second song, replacing the
initial integrity in order to welcome more Goth-alike expression.
Towards the end, the whole turns into heavier proportions, introducing
fine-tuned electric guitars, and canalizing this material towards quasi
poppy and, at the same time, rocking heights. Once again, integrity and
heavy experiment meet flawlessly. With the third track, Light Of
Darkness, this evolution goes even further. Not only it’s the
longest piece on this EP (clocking nearly six minutes), but it was
written quite some time after the first ones. And that’s very
audible. Light Of Darkness is enormously emotional (black hearts
including! Just listen to those lyrics) yet truly progressive too. Do
not expect some aural outbursts whatsoever, but prepare a warm (or
better: icy) welcome to somewhat melancholic and introvert feelings
translated the sonic way. Especially the second half, as from the
semi-noisy intermezzo, does infect / affect undersigned’s brain,
but that’s a compliment on top of my appreciation for this whole
experience.
The EP comes in an eight-paged folded 3” edition (a deluxe
version evidently) on canvas paper, and I do not think I need to say
that (most of) the lay-out and photography were done by the guy
himself, I guess… But beware: this material is strictly limited,
so don’t come crying because I did warn you!
Ivan Tibos.
80/100