Arktau Eos “Unworeldes” LP
Ritual ambient masters, Arktau Eos return with not one but Two LP’s that were both released in late 2012. The one I’m reviewing today, Unworeldess, is a sonic masterpiece of drone, world, and ritualistic style ambient. I like the fact that Arktau relies on various world and tribal instruments to create their dark soundscapes that are very reminiscent of meditative, shamanic music. Before I discuss the tracks, I definitely recommend listening to this or any ambient music with hi def headphones since it’ll pick up all the sounds a lot better on these opuses. The opening track, “The Cypress Watcher” creeps up on the listener with very low hints of drone followed by almost Tibetan style music. Another track, “Cove of the Seven Winged,” begins with a wind instrument that gives a very dark, eerie beginning to the track, followed by what sounds to me almost like wind blowing in the background with hints of stringed instruments taking more to the background and not the foreground, “Black Leaf Gaze” also begins with wind instruments, but instead of fading in the sound for the start begins very loudly and also follows with more classical sounding strings giving it almost horror movie vibe to it. The closing track, “Geometry of Emptiness” begins with very dissonant tones that definitely fit for the album’s closing track. The track to me almost gives a feeling of longing for answers within the great portal of time and space. Arktau Eos never ceases to impress me, I really can’t wait to take a listen to the second release “Ioh-maera”.
