April 21, 2009
A review of "Solus" from trevor_vd on twitter:
The Gilliam Section’s “Solus” I have family friends in San Antonio who made an album recently, entitled Solus. As one of the firstcustomers/listeners, I’m writing a review, and here’s the short of it - I enjoyed this record, and if you know drone, guitar loops, or ambient music, you will too. Solus is up now on CD Baby, and it’s worth the affordable purchase if you’d like a new album to study, relax, read, or just listen to.
Now here’s the long(er) review:
There’s a track in the latter portion of Solus called Burwood. Burwood is a pulsating field of guitar swells and atmospheric drone, cut across by a patience - this song is not melodic, it’s textural: There’s an a focus in it on developing an overall aesthete, rather than a moment-to-moment gratification, a sort of building up, cresting. This textural approach is indicative of the entire album.
Built around cascading guitars, what sets The Gilliam Section apart from other Texan drone/ambient bands such as Stars of the Lid is a willingness to explore this carefully crafted sense of audial crests and troughs (the artistic sinusoidal action for the times) alongside some more playful musical sensibilities. Prog rock never left The Gilliam Section’s members, and its mark shows in rippling guitar solos and effects drenched in reverb. They’ve made a dreamscape in Solus for you to walk through - be sure to take your ears along!
Filed under: Music , album, drone, review, solus
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Gilliam Section's debut CD "Solus" is now available for purchase for $8.95 (plus shipping).
"Solus" features 18 new instrumental/ambient tracks produced by Will Willard and featuring John Marcell (aka Johnny Love), Will Willard and guest performances by Alessandra Celletti, James Sidlo, Hyperbubble and more!
"Non-ego identified arisings. Poetic mergings and meandering afternoon zazen smile..." Reviews of "Darkening Skies"... upcoming Gilliam Section song:
MUSIC > LOCAL MUSIC
“Darkening Skies” — (Willard-Marcell)
“My heart returns to you” vocalist John Marcell incants repeatedly, but this is no spell for romantic reconciliation. Tribal drums and disorienting sonic swirls give the track the shade of a pagan ritual mourning the day’s death, while that guitar solo at midway mark expertly combines Hendrix’s earth and air elements, eventually blotting out the sun with flung clumps of mud. “These are the signs” that disembodied voice concludes, resigned to the chilling inevitability of light’s regression to void, “in the darkening skies.”
~ San Antonio Current
Quotes:
"I like it! Sort of a psychotropic mix of King Crimson and XTC." ~ Alan Van Dyke, ukelele, Austin, Texas
"I liked it; what exciting times to be able to press a button and hear that!" ~ Big Melvis of Big Melvis and the Tone Daddies
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