I’m a fairly recent Glitched Orchestrals fan, so I may not be an “expert” on the growth of the band. With that said, in my very humble opinion, their upcoming album, DANCES WITH THE MOON -to be released on the 20th of March, to coincide with the eclipse – is clearly their most consistent effort to date. The construction of their ambient-urban-orchestral songs shows a tighter, more defined, cohesive direction that leads to aural heaven. The stories and pictures these songs create in my mind are amazing; such intensity, reflection, longing, searching, happiness, sadness, excitement, energy…
If you’re into music that tells a story without words, definitely give Glitched Orchestrals a try. Their previous album, DANCES WITH WHALES pretty much makes up the lion’s share in my playlists for when I’m writing. It really gets the deep, creative parts of my brain flowing. DANCES WITH THE MOON is just as beautiful and soul-touching; emotionally evocative and musically awe-inspiring art.
Here is a quick recap for those who have yet become acquainted with this urban ensemble: The London-based Glitched Orchestrals, are a classically trained, eighteen piece orchestra whose style is a hybrid of orchestral music fused with rock riffs and urban beats. The eighteen piece orchestra is complimented by Emil Scyhren on Yamaha digital Grand piano, Stefan Magnus on guitar, Binky Bentley on drums and Susu Kawasaki on bass.
This has got to be one of the best indie post-rock bands of all time. And DANCES WITH THE MOON plays out like their magnum opus. From the percolating opening track, MIDWINTER MOON, to the languid album closer, SEA OF TRANQUILITY, this album is bursting with genius and stunning melodies, and constantly moves to places you never expect, delighting and surprising at the same time. Don’t be fooled by the over-simplistic song titles, which never exceed two words, bar one. What lies inside each track will ultimately tug at your emotions and intellect.
Glitched Orchestrals are, simply put, amazing. Employing instrumental songs that almost never exceed the 4-minute mark (another incredible feat for this genre of music), they run the gamut of emotion and tempo. Sometimes quiet and brooding and other times exploding into a wall of crescendos, Glitched Orchestrals literally create images in your head with their complex soundscapes and they manage to do so without the aid of words. Songs that captured my imagination are the piano-driven HARVEST MOON, the percussive MOON RISE, the eerie ambience of MOONGLUM, the futuristic temperance in ECLIPSE, the majestic string arrangements and hard-hitting drums in DRAGON MOON and the, once again, sublime piano in MOONBEAMS.
Glitched Orchestrals has truly forged their own sound amidst a sea of clichés in the current music world. While the post-rock genre has been stretched thin and wide by the efforts of Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Sigur Ros, Glitched Orchestrals reminds post-rock of what it needs. Filled with crescendos and incredible build-ups, to enchanting melodies and compelling syncopation, Glitched Orchestrals puts together an instrumental album that one cannot forget, right from the very first listen.
If you don’t own a Glitched Orchestrals album, DANCES WITH THE MOON is as good a place as any to start. And just in case you’re planning on doing something silly like you’re accustomed to with your Katy Perry records -be warned…skipping forward in these songs will gain you absolutely nothing, truly listening to each song is the prize itself!
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://glitchedorchestrals.com
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