Review of The Gorilla Variations [12k2013]

Musique Machine (.COM)

This is a rather splendidly hazy childhood nostalgic & harmonic collrabration that utilize a heady & dreamy mixture of guitar’s & bass, electronics, clarinet, electric piano, female vocals, field recording & processing.

Each of the 10 tracks on offer here lulls & drifts into each other in a very appealing & dream like manner giving the whole album the feel that it’s full of aged sonic postcards of faded children’s parties, days at the seaside,or playfully & vivid memory of childhood adventures with-in nature. We go from melting vibe like tunefulness & reversed warming tone & whistlers that rise with clarinet wonder & graceful harmonics, onto slowly picked hazy summer clouds of guitar warmth, wavering and melting female ahh’s & distant backyard chatter. Through to electric piano sustains that break with layered female fairground harmonies that hum of a distant time, before lush water field recording knock against clarinet playfulness. Really the whole album feels like an soothing, golden & daydream adventure put in sonic form as the pair of Berg & Vitiello carefully pull you along like a kid on a aged go-kart on magical mystery tour with your best childhood buddies back across time.

The Gorilla Variations is a thoroughly pleasing, constantly inventive and richly homed collection of often effortlessly harmonic & golden sonic snapshots; it’s an album I’ve found myself drifting through many times since I first heard & it still holds up it’s wonder, grace & new elements with each play. Certainly one of my favourite lulling & hypnotic treats of this year and another very high point from the always rewarding 12k label.

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