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Cyclotimia
CD (ltd. 500) |
The reissue of probably the best album of the Russian electronic duo, complemented with a 15-minute space suite as a bonus track.
Cyclotimia's album "Celestis: Space Ceremonial Music" was inspired by the activity of a well-known American aerospace company Space Services Inc. which among other things specializes in sending human ashes into space (via their subsidiary Celestis Inc.). Moreover, the compact discs with this music have prowled the outer space twice while being on board rockets launched from the spaceport America in New Mexico. This happened for the first time in April 2007 ("Legacy" project), and for the second time in May 2010 ("Pioneer Flight" project). Cyclotimia's music obtained the status of the official soundtrack to both events.
"Celestis" definitely stands out in the discography of this project, known mainly for its post-industrial and avant-garde recordings. It would be no exaggeration to say that this is their most accessible work (in a good sense) correlating with the best examples of such acclaimed masters of the "space genre" as Jean-Michel Jarre or Klaus Schulze. At the same time the music on "Celestis" is in no way secondary, it is modern and quite craftily made.
From the opening theme "Capsula" the album's atmosphere plunges the listener into a world of spiritual experience, calls to take an imaginary space travel; fly towards Space along with the remains held in capsulas... It's worth mentioning that the CD comes with a 12-page booklet narrating about the activities of the company. This release differs from the first edition (2007) as it contains an additional exclusive track "Another Time Another Place" - a 15-minute "space suite" recorded by the project in 2009.
Reviews
This is the 4th and final time I re-write this review. I just can't figure out how to make a good opening or a good ending of it. Everything I write just sounds so futile compared to the music. I have no idea for how many hours I've been listening to this album since it was released, I don't know how many times I've thought to myself that this is how I want great music to sound.
It's melancholic, it's clean, it's dusty, it's empty and cold, leaving you with nothing except the cold dead space around you. Which brings me to some trivia about this record. Because this is one album that have actually been in space. Here's a quote from Cyclotimia's web space:
"In the year 2007 one CD copy of "Celestis: Space Ceremonial Music" album visited space within Legacy Flight which took place on April 28th in Spaceport America in New Mexico.
Another CD copy of this album visited space and returned back to Earth within Pioneer Flight launched May 4, 2010. A very few bands have anything in their possession that has traveled to space."
And with this I would actually like to close this review here and now. The music speaks more for itself than I ever can. I can just say that I love this record! [10/10]
I don’t know if many of our readers are familiar with the Russian project of Cyclotimia, but those who are will probably know that this album is a re-edition. The original “Celestis”-CD was released in 2007 on Gravitator Records. This new edition features an extra track from 2009.
Behind “Celestic” is hiding a conceptual release inspired by the activity of a well-known American aerospace company Space Services Inc. which among other things specializes in sending human ashes into space. Moreover, the compact discs with this music have prowled the outer space twice while being on board rockets launched from the spaceport America in New Mexico (in 2007 & 2010). Some extra information can be found in the booklet.
No doubt about it, the concept is interesting and I can imagine the excitement of both musicians. Musically this album is much more into the sound of ambient pioneers like J.M Jarre, Tangerine Dream ao. Jean-Michel Jarre is for sure the most noticeable influence and with a little bit imagination Cyclotimia sounds a bit like Jarre from the future times. “Odyssey” is an outstanding cut that will for sure evoke some souvenirs of J.M Jarre.
“Celestis” is a remarkable piece of astral ambient music and it really sounds like music from distant galaxies. A few spoken vocals were added here and there, but again it already sounds very space-like. It might even reinforce the idea that we’re not the only humans from the galaxy. Cyclotimia also dares to explore more contemporary influences and the kind of triphop rhythmic we notice on a few cuts is a remarkable touch of modernism, which totally fits to the global production. The bonus track is long during piece appearing to be an imaginary trip among the stars. It’s not the best cut from this album, but it fits to the global mood emerging from “Celestis”.
This is an elaborated work that will for sure please the lovers of ‘pure’ and ‘old-school’ ambient music.
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