Bersarin Quartett: Bersarin Quartett (Lidar CD)
I've been listening to Bersarin Quartett's self-titled debut for a couple months now. At first I was letting it set in, speak to me, move me - it continues to do so in new ways every time i listen to it. In fact, I've been struggling to do this impressive record justice within the confines of a review.
For starters, Bersarin Quartett (sic) is not a quartet at all; it's a single man named Thomas who hails from Munster, Germany. He claims an interest in scoring imaginary films, and it's safe to say that he nails it here. In fact, what is most impressive about this album is that each individual track sounds like an epic on its own. String them all together and it's truly marvelous.
Not only is each track carefully crafted - Thomas has a knack for detail - but it usually has its own deliberate narrative arc. The ordering of tracks here is also quite smart, as nearly every track complements the one before and/or after it. The sound is electronic and downtempo, but lush and layered, relying on samples or digital instruments to give it a more orchestral, cinematic bent. From the opening phrases of "Oktober," it's clear that this is going to be a wonderful journey; the electronic chords (reminiscent of Arovane's Tides or even the more sublime moments of Various Artists) provide a nice contrast to the airy string section behind them, all anchored by a loose downtempo rhythm section.
At other times, there is a tinge of light jazz to these pieces, in mood and arrangement, such as the clarinet flourishes on "Geschnicten Von Interesse" or the buried horn of "Die Dinge Sind Nie So Wie Sie Sind," the latter of which has the most rhythmic flair, evolving into a loose shuffle that lends the lightest atmosphere in the middle of the album. It's a nice break in the clouds compared to the more dramatic, brooding moments such as "Inversion" or "Es Kann Nicht Ewig Winter Sein." The former swells in a scary crescendo halfway through, suddenly stops and then creeps back with another series of gloomy drones, while the latter ebbs with a repetitive bass hook and an understated brush kit, carried with a series of undulating chords and overtones. The same might be said about "Und Die Welt Steht Still," another track that hinges on unresolved tension, a prolonged layer of chords through which occasional melodic hints peek. "St. Petersburg" and closer "Mehr Als Alles Andere" both heighten the tension with percolating percussion that denotes a sense of urgency; the latter finally boils over into vaguely Trentemøller territory (at his most cinematic), with a skittering, distorted downtempo kit, resolving with a delicate melodic coda.
Somehow describing this music in text form just doesn't really do it justice... he really is a master of mood and tension, all working within a more traditional framework of musicality. There are no jarring computer-music sounds here; any electronics serve to reinforce the basic melodic or organic foundation from which he's started. It really is a gorgeous set of tracks that warrants repeat listens, as the details come to the fore a little more each time.
mp3s: Es Kann Nicht Ewig Winter Sein | St. Petersburg
more info: Myspace | Lidar album detail | Discogs
buy it: Lidar site