Aurally Perfect
Jóhann | 09/19/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I can't believe that Juno Reactor is releasing this masterpiece again. I've owned it since the one that was out on the short-lived Inter-Modo Records and I never thought I'd see this one on any form of musical shelves again.
For anyone who is looking for anything unconventional to listen to, this album will definitely satisfy that desire. Lu.ci-ana stretches the boundaries of what can be generally considered music, and by doing so Juno Reactor has created a masterpiece in the single hour-long track.
I highly recommend this album to any self-respecting music lover and I hope that this rare gem of an album has a greater chance to flourish with its re-release."
A warning to prospective buyers
L. Magnus | Boston, MA USA | 05/31/2009
(1 out of 5 stars)
"This is a warning that is not clearly conveyed in any of the reviews or product description:
This album (consisting of one track) is not "music" in the traditional sense. In fact, at no point during the hour long exposure did I hear anything that constituted music : melody or harmony. It is strictly 60 minutes of ambience, namely in the form of a drone accompanied at times by distant female arias or other infrequent seemingly random tones. With the exception of the drone, there is nothing in the form of recognizable rhythm.
This is not a redemption for Gods and Monsters.
If you are looking to purchase an album representative of JR's compostional style, this is not it. I disagree that this is an inventive step Juno Reactor needs to take. It is neither inventive nor listenable.
"
Soundtrack to the zombie apocalypse
Michael J. Sheldon | Fair Oaks, CA | 04/17/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After the mild disappointment I felt with JR's newest disc "Gods and Monsters," the disc/track came as a great comfort and mental prod. It takes a few minutes quite literally to hear much of anything but once the slow volcanic rumblings fill your ears it's pretty much enveloping ambience for the next near hour. Traversing from loud and throbbing to low and twitching softly in the corner, "Luciana" makes for perfect mental stimulus. That's the reason for ambient music, innit?
The very first time I heard "Luciana" in its entirety at work (after having made the mistake of trying to listen to it in my truck) my mind immmediately did what it was wont to do while quietly enjoying a sheaf stout with college friends: imagine the perfect movie and story to accompany it. Since I have a semi-obsession with zombies and their eradication, it was the first genre to rear itself. Try and picture yourself on a train speeding away from a zombie-infested city, your tired head resting against the train and wondering what's to come. Eh? Eh?
Listening to "Luciana" made me want more music to keep coming up with more movie. Repetitious? Maybe, but that's a part of music like this; it's a musical form of hypnosis that lends itself to meditation. There are going to be inevitable comparisons to FSOL and other spaced-out groups. For now, I'd tell you just to think of the weirdness Juno Reactor fans can expect and just slow it down a bit, dump the ramdom vocal samplings, and close those eyes. You're in for a nice hour-long ride."
Track Listings (1) - Disc #1