DI EVANTILE
Rhetorical Digression
Self-released (2007)
Rhetorical Digression blew me away with its amazing diversity of
electronic music, old-school retro EM, chill-out, and a few other
related subgenres. The CD s look and lack of liner notes had me
concerned at first, but upon the first playing, I realized I was
in capable hands. His page is www.dievantile.com The sound samples
I had heard before soliciting the CD were pretty good, but even with
this brief preview of the album I was unprepared for Somov's exceptional
adeptness at covering many types of ambient and electronic music with
such self-assuredness.
A Point to Nowhere celebrates retro EM with a combination of Berlin
school and associated synths. Whirly-gigging keyboards, a mysterious
sounding background sequence and an overt air of spaciness underscores
the song ' title. Contrast that with the disturbing fluidity and glorpiness
on Mirror of Chaos with a forlorn lead synth, muted piano notes,
dripping/dropping noises and eerie voice effects, all on top of a haunting
drone. The Wind Became Stronger morphs from an electronic spacemusic/ambient
prologue into a burbling percolating sequence with associated weird electronic
effects scattered here and there. As the track builds, Somov adds more layers,
a blast of synth flute and tribal-esque vocal snippets, all of it culminating
in a miasma of hand drums and percussive beats which may remind you somewhat of
Michael Shrieve's Transfer Station Blue. One-Click Blues transitions to a more
contemporary chill-out motif, featuring heavy thumping bass beats, way cool
Fender Rhodes-ish reverbed solos, trap kit rhythms, and plenty of swirling keyboard
embellishments.
The skitching beats and abstract yet melodic electronic spaciness of Impulse of Silence
might remind some listeners of the darker songs from Depeche Mode s Violator,
such as the similarly titled Enjoythe Silence or Halo. One of my favorite tracks
on this CD is Downtown, a slice of jazzy snazzy funky chill-out that chugs and
pumps along with some
of the coolest blending of synths and bass beats I ve heard in a while.
Adrenaline Switch mines the same type of rhythmic ambient as Todd Fletcher does
under his pseudonym psychetropic. Both artists explore a
cheerful high energy fusion of assorted peppy beats and flowing melodic
synthesizers which paint visual images of futuristic landscapes abuzz with
activity. Closing out the album is the non-rhythmic ambient/spacemusic tune,
Behind Existence, with its lush layers of flowing keyboards, synth pads and
ebbing/flowing SF-ish washes.
One might be tempted to opine that Somov is a mere imitator of the artists
mentioned above (or others unspecified), but nothing could be further from the truth.
While I hear some artistic similarities scattered throughout Rhetorical Digression,
the mere fact that a single artist can be influenced by so many diverse artists and
carry it off so well on a single recording leaves me impressed, to say the least.
Honestly, most EM and ambient artists are influenced by someone anyway, so what's
the big deal? If you enjoy a broad spectrum of both retro and contemporary electronic
music (with a little more emphasis on the latter), this CD certainly deserves a shot
at being added to your collection. I sure hope this is not the last we have heard from
Di Evantile/Oleg Somov. Highly recommended!
Rating: Very Good +
Bill Binkelman
Music Reviewer
New Age Reporter
----------------
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
A Cinematic Electronic Adventure!
Rhetorical Digression presents listeners with a truly other-worldly experience.
Just bordering on the truly abstract with minimal yet rich soundscapes, not
conforming to any commercial standard, Di Evantile starts the musical journey
with a few tracks that touch on the fringes between the dream-state and the
waking conscious.
The opening track "A Point To Nowhere" certainly reminds me of the electronica
of old. The influence of Jean-Michel Jarre is strong here, yet at the same time
the strange lonley soundscapes are fresh and seem to hint at where the reast of
the album is headed.
On the opening tracks, rhythms almost form and are pushed away into nebulous
clouds of ethereal pads and angelic synths. However, each track seems to bring
more cohesion and more structure.
One of my favorite tracks "One-Click Blues" has a sexy lush groove made to chill
in the late nate or early hours. With a solid groove and beautiful cosmic echoes
(remenicent of Lonnie Liston Smith) here makes me realize just how far we have come
from formless to form. Yet even here the comsic echoes remind us that we have not
gone very far.
My other favorite tracks on this beautifully cosmic album would be Adrenaline Switch
and Sourse of Radiation. The last track "Behind Existence" takes us back to the
beginning where we are once again treated with a lush dreamlike landscape of sounds
with a smallest hint of a structure to sail us to our next destination.
Individually some of these tracks may seem disconnected, but as a whole this Album flows
wonderfully from beginning to end. While its deep cosmic relaxing textures may present
a problem listening to in deep traffic Di Evantile has put together an excellent CD to
chill or relax to.
Written by Dub_Ninja
http://www.subsonictemple.com/
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