Search - Floratone :: Floratone

Bravo

Bruce C. Moore | Seattle, WA United States | 10/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Frisell continues to push what could fairly be considered a new genre of music. Open to any influence, created through an iterative, collaborative process, driven by technology, but deeply rooted in an organic, folksie feeling. I won't even try to come up with a name for it.



I'm sorry those Frisell fans who express disappointment in this release aren't captured by its seductive charm. Those of us who can't take it out of our various players know what I mean. It is sophisticated, surprising, and satisfying. It stands up to repeated active listening, and moves easily into the ambient background of your room, or your head.



For folks who have been fortunate to see Bill perform live in a variety of contexts, this album, as carefully constructed as it is, is somewhat more akin to his live performances than many of his other popular albums. The collaborators have somehow managed to retain the edginess created by the deconstruction of the music while it's right between your ears, if not right before your eyes.



My hat's off to them. But not my headphones."

Lots of not so blue notes

Gismo Egberti | Lhasa, Tibet | 08/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a great album! It will take a bit of time to digest, with all the production work from Martine and Townsend, wide array of electronic sonic wonders, and varied misteriosos- but pretty darn fulfilling for fans of these great musicians."

Haunting, Compelling and Intensely Original

Thomas D. Ryan | New York | 11/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
This CD has completely disrupted my listening schedule. "Floratone" has such a haunting, intoxicating feel that I keep playing it over and over, trying to get a grip on the nuances of the music, but they constantly elude me. Just as the groove starts to take hold, a hypnotic glaze settles over me and my listening pattern shifts to a trance state. The music is lush and evocative, but impossible to grasp, even after repeated listenings.

"Floratone" pairs guitarist Bill Frisell with percussionist Matt Chamberlain, who tag team each other while creating instrumental soundscapes that somehow manage to sound both otherworldly and earthy. It is music that defies gravity, which is what makes it so compelling; how often can you say you're hearing something that is truly unique and different? Neither jazz nor pop, at least not in any traditional sense, "Floratone" creates atmospheres that accompany your mood, rather than define it. Tracks like "Mississippi Rising" and "The Passenger" are simultaneously funky and dreamy, sounding like some of the most brilliant tracks that Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois never made together, but should have. The moods never quite gel into anything tangible, providing a liquidity that avoids my ability to grasp it entirely, leaving me to describe it in terms of vague images instead of solid observations.

I listen to so much music on a daily basis that it is nearly impossible for me to hear something that I consider genuine and unique. Almost anything can be described as a combination of other things, but "Floratone" is different. As I said earlier, I've played this disk plenty of times, and I've played for anyone who cares to listen. Always, we find ourselves basking in its atmospherics, as it develops into an integral part of whatever else we were doing. It is not particularly demanding of the listener, but if you let it, "Floratone" will take you places you've never been. A Tom Ryan"