REVERIE

DATURAH Reverie is listed in some places as an EP even though it's five songs total 60 minutes of music. 60 minutes of awesome music. I'm coming to believe that the German Math/Post Rock scene is where the present and future of this genre has its greatest hopes/potential. The key element of electronic keyboard use--something every German Krautrocker is at home with--is, IMHO, the key to the "renaissance" of this beautiful, though admittedly, stagnating genre of progressive music. Sampling--used instrumentally on Reverie--may be another.

1. "Ghost Track" begins with spacey distortions and some samples from two or three speeches (from movies?) one a rant from Dennis Hopper's crazed Col. Kurtz historiographer from Apocaplypse Now, before crashing into some very typical Post Rock patterns and sounds. At the 6:00 minute mark we collapse into a very shoegaze-like sequence of dreaminess which then uses military snare playing till the 8:00 mark to climb back to the heights of volume and distortion. Too long and, ultimately, not interesting enough to engage the listener over its entire 12 ½ minutes. 6/10

2. "Hybrisma" is, without a doubt, one of the best Math/Post Rock songs I've ever heard and, IMO, is one of the few recent songs that could point to new directions for the genre to develop and grow (something many people believe is impossible). Voice samples, heavily treated guitars--some foreground, some very far back in the mix, unusual drum patterns/playing (two drummers?) all help build a multi-layered, multi-textured song of deep emotional impact--one with one of the greatest, most emotional climaxes I've ever heard in instrumental music. 10/10 3. For its first six minutes, "9" is a pleasant, hypnotic song with spacey, heavily treated (à la ROBIN GUTHRIE) background guitars, pulsating bass (à la early ADAM CLAYTON) in the foreground, melodies becoming harmonies by the notes' slow, echoed decays. A rather time-less interlude occurs for the next two and a half minutes, during which the song's direction is highly unpredictable. But then, Wham! The song kicks back into drive and then overdrive as several layers of melodic structure weave together before deconstructing into a easy end. Awesome climax! 8/10

4. "Deep B Flat" begins like a CURE "Fascination Street"-era song before quieting down to a structure more familiar of the Post Rock genre. 4:30 witnesses the shift into third gear before the 5:15 mark when the song's sound quite suddenly fades away, leaving the distant echoing of old notes decaying, new guitar arpeggios, and a long excerpt of speech sounding like some broadcast from the astronauts in the International Space Station. Drums and bass rejoin at 7:00. The earlier familiar Post Rock structure returns at 8:00. Nothing new or exciting really occurs until full speed is achieved at the 9:45 mark--continuing without rising any higher (though you want/expect it to do so so desperately) until it's time to cecrescendo for the last minute and a half. A song with so much unrealized potential! 6/10

5. "Vertex" builds very slowly, very quietly, like a PINK FLOYD or PORCUPINE TREE song until the crash guitar chords comes at the 6:00 minute mark. After a minute it quiets down again before the 8:30 mark sees the assault of sound recommence and sustain until it shows signs of cracking at the 11:20 mark, fatiguing to the 12:10 mark when everything comes crashing down to fade. 7/10

Overall a really good album, very listenable and enjoyable with many signs of innovative creativity and ideas yet to come. Keep on proggin'! 4 stars