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Echo Us: Tomorrow Will Tell the Story

This was the most unique sounding album I heard all year, back in 2010. Ethan Matthews, one of the most unique talents creating electronic music, has revised some sounds as well as added a bonus track to increase the volume of music provided. Tomorrow Will Tell the Story, continues to remain so original and fresh in its approach to this genre of music. Ethan's music challenges you to both listen and pick up on all of the subtle sounds and impressions which he delivers with feeling within the music. Tomorrow Will Tell the Story is perfect for relaxing, reading, or sitting by the seashore and soaking in some rays.

The cool synths, keyboards, and electronic echo vocal effects provide a perfect soundscape with which to think and dream. Much of the vision and inspiration for this album came from Ethan's dreams and meditations, so with Tomorrow Will Tell the Story, Ethan invites you along for the journey. The album is full of very cool bells and Henta's voice sincerely whispering throughout the album, bringing with it that soft feeling of warmth and comfort. The electronic vocals are combined meticulously with, at times, symphonic levels of synths washing over the soundscape. The sound definitely reproduces a nice wave effect, experienced in the deep REM dream state. Ethan's music is always innovative and challenging and the wind like chimes add soft subtle nuances to the soundscape. Ethan's music is more of an experience than just a listening session. Tomorrow Will Tell the Story, the title track and closer, to this epic story brings magic guitar and epic levels of synths and keys providing an oceanscape of sound. Beautiful, tranquil, relaxing music that just lets your mind relax from all of the stress of the modern world. "We rose to climb the waves of time. The years of eras fell away. We live between the broken dream. Beneath the deep blue haze." Together Henta and Ethan's vocals finish off the piece with interwoven vocals and beautiful piano, synth and drum effects.

The new track, Aureole, is a fantastic bonus to have with this release. Henta's vocals are soft and soothing. The guitar work and drums add more power to the project as the lyrics help fill in the details.

Ethan Matthews is the producer and chief creator of this vision. It's Ethan providing the keyboards, programming and synthesizers throughout the album. Henta contributes beautiful and inspired vocals. Raelyn Olson provided lever and pedal harp. Daniel Panasenko provided harmonium on the track, The Mirror in the Window, and Rawn Clark narrates the IHVH-ADNI canticle.

Track Listing:

1. Out of the Blue
2. Beyond the Horizon
3. Docked at Bay
4. Archaeous of Water V-1
5. The Ears of Eras
6. Anchors Away
7. Archaeous Of Water V -2
8. The Light it Moves, En Vie Est Lumiere
9. Echoes of Eras
10. Iagla
11. Waves of the Glacier (a view from a pier)
12. The Mirror in the Window
13. Tomorrow Will Tell the Story
14. Aureole – bonus track

Added: September 9th 2012
Reviewer: Mark Johnson
Score:
Related Link: EchoUs.net
Hits: 3044
Language: english

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Echo Us: Tomorrow Will Tell the Story
Posted by Jon Neudorf, SoT Staff Writer on 2012-09-09 23:17:38
My Score:

Echo Us is a project started by multi-instrumentalist Ethan Matthews in the year 2000 after the breakup of his former band Grayhaven. Echo Us released two EPs in the early 2000s as well as a couple of full length albums, the last being The Tide Decides in 2009. Tomorrow Will Tell The Story was originally released digitally in 2010 but this year a fully re-mastered CD has been issued with bonus tracks.

This is another one of those bands that I have been unfamiliar with until putting Tomorrow Will Tell The Story into my CD player. Apparently it is the second album in a continuing trilogy about an unknown entity eventually gaining consciousness. I can't tell you much more about the concept but musically speaking this is quite an adventurous album. It includes fourteen tracks which as a whole tend to blend together making it difficult to give a track by track review. The sound has its roots in ambient and electronic, filled with sparse soundscapes and symphonic textures creating quite a unique sound. There are also unusual vocalizations, sometimes hinting at oriental motifs and believe it or not sometimes sounding like Alvin and the Chipmunks. If that sounds weird, well, it is but even stranger is the fact it works more often than not. My only complaint is the lack of cohesive song structures which may or may not be a negative, depending on what floats your boat.

It took a while to fully absorb Tomorrow Will Tell The Story but if you appreciate artists like Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre you just might want to give this one a spin. One of the more interesting electronic/ambient albums I have heard this year.



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