Lambwool – Fading Landscapes

What directly attracts my attention with this release is the original packaging. The cd is packed in a small book, a little bigger than a 7″ single. The artwork contains over two dozen black & white photos by renowned artist Peter Bengtsen, with deliberately vague, hazy images of various remote European places, in line with the album title. Furthermore there is a mysterious text in French written by Nico Bally.

Off to the music. Lambwool is a new name for me, it’s the project of Cyril Laurent from France, who released two cdr’s before. He creates ambient compositions full of melancholy and introspection. His work fits in with other acts from his label Divine Comedy Records, like Land, Othila or Fin de Siècle. A track like ‘Wake’ also reminds me of 70’s electronic pioneers like Tangerine Dream.

“Fading landscapes” is a long cd with eleven long soundscapes, lasting almost 80 minutes. The tracks often have a ritual, meditative aspect, think of Temps Perdu?, Atomine Elektrine or Remanence. Electronic and acoustic sources are combined in an organic manner. Apart from electronic layers and field samples you can find for instance various string sounds. At times percussion comes to the foreground to enhance the ritual effect, for instance halfway ‘On the ceiling’. One of my favourite tracks is ‘To the marble temple’, with participation from Othila. An intense chilling piece with powerful percussion and ritual chants.

After a few listening turns I’ve really begun to appreciate the sound and mood of this album. The tracks are really refined and have multiple dimensions, they don’t give away all their secrets immediately. There is something mysterious, sacred about this album. Absolutely recommended for lovers of ambient / soundscape /ritual music. Hurry up, cause there are only 500 copies.

artist: Lambwool
label: Divine Comedy Records
details: 11 tracks, 2005 [DC 035]