With what some critics call a pioneering approach often described as "ambient orchestral minimalism," the UK composer, cellist, violinist and pianist Marvin Ayres explores free-form jazz and film music on his latest collection, Eccentric Deliquescence. The odd title, loosely translated, means "peculiar chemistry," and that's exactly what listeners get as Ayres filters his organic strings through atmospheric distortion and effects that vaguely recall works by Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel.
Some of the 14 classically inspired songs here are more fully developed than others, such as the hauntingly tender "Elegiac Collage" and "The Bark That Is Bearing" (which features Ayres' own chant-like vocals). But the song titles alone should be enough to intrigue adventurous listeners: "I Wish I Was the Sky." "Insomnolence." "Coiling Compotation." "Androgynous Weave." Despite — or perhaps because of — the sameness that runs through these 59-and-a-half minutes, the music provides a soothing, almost spiritual experience that is neither immediate nor expected.
Track Listing:
1) Androgynous Weave
2) Soured Alchemy
3) I Wish I Was the Sky
4) Elegiac Collage
5) Forever Is Now
6) The Bark That Is Bearing
7) Tail Piece
8) Do You Hear Me Now?
9) Harold
10) Bitter Beauty
11) Insomnolence
12) Neurasthenia
13) Coiling Compotation
14) Durdy