Howden, Matt – Voyager

The third album of Matt Howden under his own name. This time he has created an instrumental neo-classical album again, like the debut ‘Intimate and Obstinate’. On his previous solo work the English violinist/producer was inspired by hell, this time Howden takes us into space.

The album follows the Voyager space probe, from Jupiter out to the edge of the solar system. Not an unique theme in classical music, think for instance of The Planets by Gustav Holst. I had heard some excerpts of ‘Voyager’ already on older compilations. It took Howden four years to complete this album, on which he worked on an infrequent basis.

‘Hellfires’ featured dominant percussion and vocals and was more song-based. Howden now thinks that he should have released it under the flag of his project Sieben. He wants to reserve his solo releases for neo-classical material.

If you liked his debut you will certainly appreciate ‘Voyager’. Highly atmospheric, free-flowing classical structures with a spacious feel. A lot of strings everywhere, mixed with lots of electronic effects. The overall sound is quite mellow and relaxing, with increasingly more experimental pieces towards the end, as we get futher removed from planet earth. A high quality piece of work, perhaps more unconventional than Sieben, but still accessible enough to enjoy.

artist: Howden, Matt
label: Ars Benevola Mater
details: 21 tracks, 53 min. [abm 08]