Friday, May 27, 2011

Ott's Mir showcases a smorgasbord of musical expression

Alright, everybody:

Go listen to Ott and prepare to have your minds blown.

Honestly, that could be the whole review right there. But I am so esteemed about this album that I simply want to tell you more about it. I want to explain to you its every little facet and nuance.

And I want you to leave feeling as enamored about this album as I am. To deny you that would be an injustice. And I can tell you aren't really conviced yet.

Fair enough.

Ott is an electronic music producer associated with Brian Eno who is best known for being to create a kaleidescope of textures and soundscapes. I'm sure you hear the term musical journey thrown around often, but Mir truly encapsulates what an odyssey is all about.

The opener, "One Day I Wish to Have This Kind of Time," has a warm hypnotic feel underscoring an spoken word intro which lays out the album's central message - don't get too caught up in trying to analyze the what the music is all about; just chill out and let your mind soak it all in.

That is followed by six minutes of cool Caribbean themed music with a nice beat and melody. You can practically feel the waves lapping over your bare feet.

The followup track, "Adrift in Hilbert Space," is perfectly representative of its title. It presents a very relaxed and chilled out vibe, as though you're floating along in space, while distant wispy vocals float alongside you.

After that, prepare to descend to the depths of "Owl Stretching Time," a darker, more sinister piece of electronica that at times threatens to veer into dubstep.

There's plenty of other great musical ideas at play here later on. Psyched out Indian vocals, mellow, spacey guitar playing, and even lush underwater dreamscapes.

It's very clear Ott is into psychedelia, but it's not overdone. Just enough of it to serve as a catalyst on this mystical and often wacked out journey that is known as Mir. 

Many artistic musical works have attempted to do what Mir does, but none have done it quite like Mir has - because it refuses to take itself seriously, and never gets bogged down by being to pretensions or artsy.

Best of all, it never calls for an overwrought level of analysis or introspection. It simply is what it is. Now go buy the damn thing.

Score: 91/100

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