Originally published in Now Then Magazine Issue 74

PLAID.REACHY PRINTS
WARP RECORDS

I love this album. It carries so much similarity to many highlights in the electronica world that I have followed for many years without sounding particularly like anything else, which to me is quite remarkable. Imagine tasting a wine and finding notes of known flavours like honey or mulberry, yet knowing that it contains neither. I get partial nostalgic elements of Boards of Canada and Ulrich Schnauss.

Harmonising chimes and melodies influenced by 80s theme music are expertly combined with a fusion of pounding drums, spacey frills and basslines which in places sound almost like electronic replicas of old school thrash metal.

Moody elements break up the happy-go-lucky fun that, for me, are the best bits, but without these progressions they wouldn’t work so well. The way the music builds and changes is lovely. A large selection of sounds is used and although each one continues the particular atmosphere of the album, the morphology of colour is diverse and entertaining.

Reachy Prints carries a definite beauty and tranquillity, but there is something quite sinister hiding in the shadows. A shrill pitch, a nervous howling or some frantic rhythm just peeking from the mix can turn this into a double-edged sword. With this dualistic feel, we’re kept guessing, listening and most of all engaging with the tracks. It’s calm enough to be on in the background but its striking enough to grab your attention.

From the intense, catchy ‘OH’ and the moody but ultimately peaceful ‘Wallet’, the pace quickens and we are treated to an upsurge of energy, an incorporation of major keys and soon the memory of uneasiness washes away into the nicely named ‘Liverpool St’. Remarkable.

Rowan Blair Colver

Originally published in Now Then Magazine Issue 76

BEN FROST 
AURORA
MUTE RECORDS

An astonishing piece of work. At first glance, the music feels like confusion and the oncoming surge of panic. Once the concept of what I was hearing had been validated by my sense of music, as this truly is like nothing I’ve encountered before, I found symphonic and musical mastery. With the use of volume as a medium for expression being key to the flow in the progression of these tracks, each individual piece of interlaced music has been composed from the wavelength upwards.

When the music begins, the sensation of something big approaching is genuinely felt alongside the sounds of shrill hums and whines which elegantly drift like razors over a beating heart bass drum. As the crescendo of intention and twisting sonics reaches its maximum, we cut to near silence once again. From this tweaking of mood emerges the triumphant fanfare and peels of bells which begin ‘Nolan’. As the intro calms into something almost tribal, the album begins to form a holistic impression – or, in other words, I begin to get it.

As it continues, everything merges. It’s difficult to distinguish tracks from one another in the same way that the chapters in a book are only sometimes apparent by the marking on the page. But this does not make a boring album. No, it feels like I’m listening to a film. There are truly epic moments and tranquil, nervous ones, and the imagery that the sounds induce is a thrill.

Rowan Blair Colver

Review of The Maension and The Ambivalent at the Dove and Rainbow, Sheffield, August 5th, 2014. 
by Rowan Blair Colver

A typical August Tuesday in Sheffield sees a few familiar faces out and about on the rock scene, many of whom choose the Dove and Rainbow as their regular haunt for its classic real ales, decent lagers and ample top shelf but most importantly for the ultimate dedication they have for what it means to rock. Being a traditional pub with a long served history of rock and metal, the adequate stage provides a brilliant setting for local and touring bands who want to raise hair, pulses and pints. 
On this particular Tuesday evening, the bill was a little less typical. All the way from LA, via many cities in Europe before hand, we were treated to the musical mastery of two fresh, talented and hard working bands. Choosing to start much later than usual, the night kicked off around ten to ten. The bar was filled with more than a few handfuls of people, being on a work night didn't stop everybody. It was well worth the wait.
The Ambivalent took to the stage first and opened up the show with a set of powerful heavy rock music that shook the venue to attention. It wasn't long before the front of the stage was gathering bodies and we all enjoyed a selection of catchy and familiar sounding material. The edge they carried was with the fusion of almost dirty grungy guitar sounds with technical keyboard playing which created a unique balance of brilliance and energy. 
They were all enjoying themselves, and for me that is a true sign of band quality. The music came from their place of contentment and with their obvious rehearsal efforts and professionalism this formula is what allows them to tour Europe and beyond knowing themselves on the right path. 
Following from the formulated mayhem and groove brought by The Ambivalent, a short DJ session filled the time it took for The Maension to set up their stage. A few people went out to catch a crafty cigarette while others queued at the bar for the next round. Before the atmosphere had completely returned to normality, the stage became the centrepiece for what was to be an awesome set. 
Fronted by Mark Maension, a truly charismatic Italian guitarist and singer with predator style bright purple dreadlocks, The Maension took the level up one more notch. Their stage presence was awe inspiring, with each member owning their space and sound with confidence and style. The tight and intelligent bass from the left hand side carried though the pounding thrashy drums perfectly while the guitar simply ripped through everything in melodic claps of thunder. On the right of the stage came the punchy riffs from Skye, the keytarist. An unusual instrument for a metal band, with the only time I have seen one used before in this genre being sporadically with Children of Bodom.  She totally dominated the keys and synthesised pads while standing tall and forward like any great rock guitarist, a great combination of sound and delivery.  
It was getting late but I didn't notice and I don't believe many others did either. Controlled excitement and safely expressed musical aggression kept the energy high, while psychedelic undertones gave everything a much more interesting edge than what we may have expected. Dressed well, rehearsed and polished beautifully then delivered with an excellence comparable to stadium bands, I truly enjoyed my evening. A pleasure to see these artists perform in a local and intimate setting, perhaps in the not too distant future they will be booking the Academy just up the road and round the corner. They deserve to as they clearly put in every ounce of their person to achieve what is so far a truly awesome musical experience. 
Check out their websites for more info and future dates.
The Maension Official Site 
The Ambivalent Reverb Nation page