smolnik & schlienz
Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream? Teresa Smolnik and Guenter Schlienz push thoughts to this question posed by Edgar Allan Poe over one hundred and seventy years ago. Music formed from ambient drifts. Sonic mass shaped like mountains reaching misty pinnacles of piano notes drifting away into the atmosphere. Stories softly sung and spoken, whispering thoughtful observations with a love filled emotion for the most obscure details. Birds chirping on communication lines, unaware of countless conversations of joy and sorrow beneath their talons. This composition simply titled Smolnik & Schlienz gently ignites the fractures of reality. The glowing details of small cracks and crevices reveal infinite worlds within minuscule dimensions. Inner beauty asking listeners to hear the dreams within and question who is listening to us.
Smolnik & Schlienz rests outside of genres and classifications. Two artists working together utilizing years of experience, cementing the foundation to improvise within the moment. Seven tracks holding unique soundscapes and emphasis, but all together creating a fluid current of tone and feel. For how obscure this spoken word and musical manipulation is, the underlying temperament is incredibly refined. Going back thirty years or so, Ann Magnuson and Mark Kramer had taken a similar approach. Their output being more psychedelic rock driven and spoken word in English. Teresa Smolnik and Guenter Schlienz are reminiscent of these sounds, but with incredibly enriched propensity for details within the ambience of dreams. Understanding the spoken German language might help this relationship, but this will have to do for now. Of all the selections held on this composition, there is only one that continues to haunt. The second to last track "heimkommen" is filled with a narrative in despairing tones, some wailing cries and a descending piano scale played in a maniacal fashion. The following track "am see" changes direction with lovely voice accompanied by birds and tranquil sonic bliss. The preceding tracks seem to fall in between these variations of delivery.
This is a Cosmic Winnetou release in a very limited edition of one hundred. Very surprised to be describing this composition and still have copies available to purchase. The vinyl is transparent with multi colored splatter. A beautifully done album in both presentation and sound.
Links
Cosmic Winnetou site - bandcamp
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