reviews

EIRIK LIE
"12 Bilder"
(Visueel Musikk VM-09601) cd 1996
Eirik Lie's debut release "12 Bilder" loosely translates in English to 12 pieces.This is an excellent album of 12 works composed for theater, performances, installations, and videos from 1983-1995. The primary instruments on the album are a variety of analog and digital synths, with electronic percussion, and guitars augmenting several theater pieces. The music varies from delicate ambient pieces reminiscent of Brian Eno's Ambient series, to more up tempo melodic pieces like "112 Par Sko" and "Dystopia" which feature Eirik on the Fender Stratocaster.
Keyboard player Frode Fjellheim joins in on several tracks adding extra synth parts, and co-producing about half of the 12 tracks. This is richly textured picture music with impeccable use of atmosphere and melody. Eirik concentrates on orchestral timbres with very limited use of sequencing. He tends to lean towards longer compositions with the average cut between 4-8 minutes. Most pieces are gradually evolving compositions with elements of drama and tension to enhance the theatrical atmosphere of the album.
It is superb drifting music-wonderful evocative soundscapes using synths, percussion, and guitar to create great aural images. It's a vast spacious aural panorama, featuring a great array of indescribable sounds; rich cosmic, shimmering tones, deep sonic drones and gentle melodic phrases. The effect is a spellbinding music, often evocative of the somber cosmic works of Erik Wollo, Michael Stearns or Vidna Obmana. Unique and fascinating, I highly recommend it.
contact: email: eirikli@notam.uio.no
URL http://home.sn.no/home/eiriklie/Visual.html

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