Xabec - transformed
Somehow I can't force myself to write a matter-of-fact, analytic review of „transformed” - to factorize and examine it. No, definitely it's not that kind of substance which you would like to draw barren conclusions about.
First of all it's because it's hard to call the release a typical album or a compilation: you can't treat it otherwise than like a closed entity as it's not a list of particular songs taken separately. What it rather reminds of is a soundscape, thematic gallery, a collection of impressions, a photo album, an artistic 'heteroglossia', a discussion of 13 artists.
The idea of “transformed” is a combination of Manuel Richter's (Xabec) work with the individual arrangements of particular pieces by the invited musicians (hence transformations).
The cumulation of such forces resulted in an exceptional, highly expressive album that carves itself in memory almost effortlessly.
The outbursts of aggression (säge transformed by the empath) or trance, dynamic lava (sci-fi transformed by orphx) and elegant melodic fluency (open state transformed by ah-cama-sotz) coexist next to absolutely abstract pieces (der riss transformed by schachtanlage gegenort) coalescing with the meditative ones (Gumaff transformed by northaut).
The music is as expressive as emphatic – it enforces interaction, concentration and thinking: it's not obvious and simple – it's the music of senses, impressions.
It rather reflects transitory moments than constancy, it brings the term 'photographic music' to my mind, it captures little whiles, sensations, colours, flickers; it's the music of spirit – exotic, mystic, soulful, pastel, mysterious; it's like a flight into an unexplored space, or, on the contrary : like an overwhelming ritual dance, like a game in guessing sounds or like a sonic hop-scotch: jumping on genres with the easiness of an amused child.
Sensuality and coldness, impression and expression, theatricality and frugality stand for a highly intriguing combination.
Manuel Richter highlights that the music is an art that not necessarily serves mere entertainment, but may also build up the atmosphere, which has the ability to reflect in the listeners' inside, it's just you can never tell what comes out of it: aggression, madness, fear, fragility or subtlety.
While listening to „transformed” - though the album is relatively 'short' – one may rediscover sensitivity, fall into meditation, but also sooth the nerves. What's also important – the music does not impose anything: it invites to active participation, which definitely enriches both the music and the emotions the listener experiences.
I recommend.
