Ekstasis

Julia Holter is probably destined for comparisons with Julianna Barwick. Both choose to work alone, have a penchant for renaissance music and like to overdub and layer their vocals, oh and their names and physical appearance are kind of similar too. Even though thats all true, Ektasis doesn't really aim for angelic transcendence like Barwicks 2011 opus The Magic Place did. Instead it's a little more progressive, avant garde and unpredictable. This album floats from choral music to minimal electronic music than to middle eastern and free jazz, (sometimes in the same song). All these styles are delicately woven together on ekstasis to create a fascinating tapestry of sounds that sommehow feel like they were made for each other.

Take Four Gardens which begins with an oriental flourish of delicate xylophone hits, electric synths and a viola? That is soon to be accompanied by an out of control sax, muted drumming and some other peculiar ambient noodlings. Whilst all this is happening over the song's 6 minute length, Julia Holter's voice chameleonically transitions between the Far east, The Middle East and the West with such skill as to appear blithe whilst doing so. In The Same Room is a little more conventional in it's construction, however it's still eclectic by any artists standards. Combining the airy gradiations of a subdued drum machine, sustained organ and breathy vocals (think Beach House) whilsts conjuring up the feel of julee Cruise and Baroque music with her versatile singing/self harmonisng and a lingering harpiscord being played in the background.

Julia Holter is a very talented artist who can flawlessly mimic Laurie Anderson's vocoder brilliance in one song and match Joni Mitchel's emotive voice in another. Yet, she avoids accusations of plagarism by borrowing just a little from these artsists and blending it with something abstract or ambient, to produce a style thats truely her own. The lack of a strong melody or hook could be a problem for some listeners who may want their music to sound a little more visceral and a little less cerebral, which isn't really a problem for me as i can enjoy bepop as much as hard rock.

However, this album does feel a little slight and meandering at times when it takes one detour too many, Which stops me from wholeheartedly endorsing it as a masterpiece of multifarious art music. This minor criticism may turn out to be lacking in validity though, as their are probably a myriad of subtle nuances that i may have missed through not listening to this album the dozen times it may require to truely unravel it's genius. If my last paragraph is void, you should definitely buy this! If i'm right you should still buy this, because it's that good even with the caveats.

I've been sitting with this album for about three weeks now, as I really wanted to give this one a fair review, to see how it felt after repeated listens. Fortunately, it fairs well indeed, not wearing even slightly thin after numerous plays. This is most likely due to the layered, warm, synthersizers that make up most of the album, there's enough layering for the listener to keep discovering, and getting more, out of the record with every listen. It isn't an overly crowded record though; many great albums have suffered from too much going on, but here it's subtle overdubs, rather than more predominant noises. The actual songs are top drawer, as well. Following on the back of Holter's incredible debut, Tragedy,the sound here is a much more song based one, relying less on long breaks of un-musical noise, or atmospheric drones.

This isn't to say that Holter is leaving her experimental roots behind her altogether, though. The amazingly beautiful Our Sorrows being an example of this. The chorus achieves being both dream like and surreal but also very catchy, an instant hook on the song - before long though, the song breaks down into more dream like passages, reminicent of The Falling Age, from her first album. It isn't a hard record to enjoy, though - the sumptuous tones and often catchy melody that stay in your head long after the song has finished, all make this an effortlessly enjoyable listen. A few of the songs could even be released as singles (though none have been taken off the album thus far) - In The Same Room, Marienbad & Goddess Eyes I are all joyfully catchy, synth-pop tracks that all have touches of the weird, whilst being hugely listenable, even for those who don't have much of a stomach for the far-out.

When I first heard this album, after being enchanted by the abrasive, noisy, often challanging Tragedy, I was somewhat disappinted, I wanted more of the same. However, after only two or three plays, it dawned on me - I was glad she hadn't done a rehash of Tradgedy. However amazing that album was, despite its slightly poppier sound (though personally, I'd still say its an experimental album)this album is a stronger, more cohesive work than Tragedy. She's matured as a song writer, and as such, I have no doubt that this album, twenty odd years down the line, will be seen as a classic.

Initially a little skeptical of this, but happily surprised with its tightly consistent melodies and production quality, which build fairy-tale like soundscapes and imagery. All of the songs seem like twinkly nocturnes or swirly, hypnotic affairs, incorporating a host of strings, organs/keyboards, and electrics, some horns. They're hardly pop ditties or beaty danceables, but nevertheless force repeated plays. Lyrics are lovely and clear, and remind one of Grimes, Hex, and Cocteau Twins but with a more dainty, accessible vibe; while the music is paced and themed like Blue Nile, 17 Pygmies, Talk Talk. Great for slow nights in, background/reading music (in the most respectful way), walks, chillout. Best tracks: goddess eyes 2, fur felix, in the same room, our sorrows.