Have
you ever wondered what space feels like? We may visualize the movement of
celestial structures into the vast darkness of space, where light is not dominant
but a part of the whole and among the infinite, us floating into the
nothingness. But we have never actually felt it with our being. We have never
been there (I mean us, not the astronauts). Have you ever wondered what would
we see, if we were travelling faster than the speed of light? If we had the
ability to look towards a source of light, be it a sun or a planet that
reflects light, or a gigantic cluster of matter, dust, planets and suns, while
travelling at the same speed, what would we see? Have you ever wondered what is
there, beyond the universe? Maybe there is another one, an exact replica of
this one. Or maybe there is a bigger one, surrounding this one. Or maybe there
are gazillion universes inside each universe and so on and so forth.
One
thing is certain. Light and darkness make space feel wondrous and horrifying at
the same time. It may be that light is the source of life and darkness the
absence of life. Both exist together, conjoint and melding into each other
seamlessly. Somethingness and nothingness. Lightness and darkness. Life and
death. Conscious and unconscious. Known and unknown. The duality of being.
But
what about sound? We already know that in the absence of atmosphere, sound
cannot travel. In the darkness, the unconscious, the unknown there is no sound.
Or maybe there is and we have yet to listen to it. But until that time comes,
we are left with wonder and our ability to create.
The
vast space can, by itself, be a source of inspiration, a source for exploring
and discovering and bringing to light what is unknown. But if we do it from
here, while looking at the sky and thinking about it, feeling the
insignificance of our being in front of this grand movement of things, isn’t it
also a form of self-exploration?
I
have listened to a few bands that communicate through music a visualization of
space. Some move to the dark and horrifying part of space, away from the light
and into the darkness. Others move into the light and explore with a sense of
wonder and beauty. Both use the same instruments but the aesthetics are
completely different. Mesarthim are
of the latter. Their music is uplifting and this can be attributed on their
composition and the instruments used.
Let
us see, visualize if you want, how the music would be like if it was placed
into space, if we accept that sound can be placed in space and create
structures. The synths are at the forefront, making them the core attraction, while
the guitars are in the background, creating a shape shifting wall of sound. The
guitars step forward to play some lead melodies or solos and then sink back
into the wall of sound; the patterned hits of the drums are placed just in
front of the guitars and behind the synths; the voice screams at times, covering
everything, like the captain of a space shuttle, observing the wondrous creations
in space. Surrounding this whole movement is the ambience created by synths; space
sounds that wrap everything inside a blanket and isolating them from the outer,
making it a safe journey. This is how “Isolate”
appears in me.
The
whole album sounds as a solid entity, but every song moves in different
territories, with different pacing and build up. Opener, “Osteopenia”, mixes
the wall of riffs with the screams until the synths take their place in front.
A steady and simple rhythm from the drums and the ambience, create a slow
moving and melancholic beginning. Then “Declaration” takes it up a notch, with
its lightness caused mostly by the synths. “Abyss” is the exact opposite of
what its name may communicate. It feels uplifting, grand, warm and peaceful.
Using the same compositional structures and something that may be Theremin
(though I doubt it, it’s probably still synths), it feels mellow and sweet.
So,
what is “Isolate”? It is definitely
not depressive or isolating in any sense. It is a shuttle that is moving into
the infinite nothingness of space and we are the passengers on a journey. It is
an album that I enjoy listening to and sinking into it, while seeing the deep
infinite nothingness. And is that infinite nothingness within us or without us?
Recommended
Track: Abyss
Label: Avantgarde Music
Released:
18/01/2016
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