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To get the Artist’s framework for his work of art [which may not be necessarily yours], here is what CL has said about his debut EP album, “999 Seconds” [part of a PM quoted with CL’s kind permission]:
The idea behind it is based on time (the album is 999 seconds long, purely by coincidence) and how either we can make the best out of our time here or it will pass us by. Musically, the mood and genre for every song on there is completely different. One track is rock intertwined with electronic influences, another is based completely on Spanish guitar and ritualistic world music (with an atmosphere to match). One track is a wintry piece which paints an image of walking through a snow-covered forest to discover sparkling flowers frozen--petals, leaves, and all. The fourth track is moody electronica with a sense of urgency and rashness (in our decisions, etc). The final track is a solemn dark ambient piece with beautiful piano to reflect a mood of introspection and reminiscent.
To paraphrase the statement of intent in his Bio, CL attempts to move his music to a boundless realm beyond the restraint of genre and conventional expectation. With his “999 Seconds” EP, he takes on the boundless subject of Time [click] [which also happens to be an abiding interest of the writer of this review] and tries to give us an aural and intellectual appreciation of one aspect of our age-less preoccupation with the subject: how do we as human beings move through and gain nourishment from precious drops of time?
To provide more specific guidance at his public pages to this question, CL shares with us in a separate blog on his collection of ”five distinct points in the musical universe” [click], the following description of the over-all theme that he has undertaken to explore:
Though the album is without a cohesive genre or sound, behind the various atmospheres lies a significant central theme--time. Each melody paints a different image; each song defines a different facet of time. Like a jigsaw puzzle, completed they function as one: Together they are "999 Seconds."
CL then goes on the describe each of his pieces [have a listen and let him and us know if you agree that the pieces in this jig-saw puzzle come together for you as well]:
My Take: Turn the volume WAY UP on this one to capture the urgency and frightening intensity of the piece. CL’s concept here is, to me, a relentless representation of all that is electro-technical and "off-the-rails" in our lives. After hearing this piece in its mechanical (clock-work) dehumanizing “busy-ness”, you only find a brief and restless repose at the end at 1.16-1.19. CL's piece makes us plead: Surely, our lives, while “tick-tock productive” in the abstract, must mean more. This is a high-voltage start to jolt our sensibilities into looking for that something more – whatever that may be.CL’s Take on "High-voltage": As the name suggests, "High-voltage" is a vigorous opening track driven by surging basslines, electrical sounds and relentless rhythms. A relatively short track by nature, it reflects the violent forward motion in society--the push, the rush to succeed before our temporary (and arguably, brief) lives are over.
My Take: After the first track, it’s sooo good to find some variety and spice to life – even if it is at core a human ritual of community and interaction. The rainfall at the beginning and end, though, still provide a sobering reminder that even as we experience the lively ritual of life, there IS a beginning and, alas, an end.CL’s Take on "Spanish Ritual": Spanish guitars and ritualistic percussion constitute the aptly named "Spanish Ritual." The mood of this track alternates between slow and intense (deeper drum and guitar picking) and quick and headstrong (shaker, congas, and guitar strumming), reflecting the cycle of life as a whole. In addition, the rain at the beginning and end serves to strengthen this idea: Not only does history repeat itself, but as humans we return to our origins in the end.
My Take:: Ah, the shimmering, crystalline beauty of life! It’s cold and sets your spine and mind to tingling with the frost-like fragility of all that is wondrous and beautiful. The third piece is an extraordinary and poignant counter-point to Spanish Ritual, the more energizing piece that is well-placed before the delicacy of Crystal Petals. Without both the hot spice of life and the purity of what is cold and crystal clear about it, you do not know the full range of its possibility.CL’s Take on "Crystal Petals": Imagine taking a walk through a snow-covered forest while a chilly breeze circulates through the trees. After half an hour of wandering, you stumble upon a sparkling clearing. Upon nearing it, you discover thousands of flowers frozen--petals, leaves, and all. As the chimes begin to fade, the ice defrosts leaving a miraculous field of brilliant color. Though it is still a sight amazing to behold, the rare and awe-inspiring image of "Crystal Petals" no longer exists. A simple concept lies here: Enjoy the beauty of life and nature before it's too late.
My Take:. I was struck by the juxtaposition of identity and emphasis in the dual purpose of the (!) at the beginning of “!solation”. It is, perhaps, the primacy and emphatic self-importance that we all give to the “I” in our solipsistic selves that results, indeed, in our existential isolation from our fellow beings. All we can hear is the beating of our own heart and not the hearts of our fellow man. [Listen to your own heart-beat here.] Can the aural sensibilities of this piece help us to overcome our individual conceit? At least Christopher Lee dares us to ask the question with the emphatic beginning [and likely end] of our self-imposed isolation..CL’s Take on "!solation": Easily the most electronic-influenced track on the album, "!solation" intertwines the themes of desolation and urgency (hence the exclamation point in the name). A slow and melancholy atmosphere develops into a desperate emergency, complete with crashing synths and heartbeat kick drum thumps. "!solation" captures the urgency of moments in which we face obstacles in solitude and without support.
My Take: This is, indeed, both a summation of the other four pieces, but with everything slowed down and emphasis added or taken away to remind us that life is evanescent with its ups and downs. This summation, though, while thought-provoking, is a somber reminder that the Anthem of our lives may be, in the end, a Silent one.CL’s Take on "Anthem of the Silent": With such a (paradox for) a title, there should be little surprise that "Anthem of the Silent" is full of subtleties easily overlooked during the first listen. Meticulous orchestration and intricate ambient sounds constitute an atmosphere of introspection and reminiscence. A personal track summing up the ideas of the album, "Anthem of the Silent" presents a journey through the past and the present, the triumphs and regrets of life.
In sum, Christopher Lee’s ”999 Seconds” is a tour de force of life’s time-line and quite an accomplishment. I agree that his “jigsaw puzzle” about discrete pieces of time come together and function as one. His uploads at fuzz are definitely worth 999 seconds of your life - many times over. I hope this inter-active review with the Artist is a value-added feature and that you will continue with that incremental process by adding your own take and voice below.
Links:
What Happens To Us When We Listen To Music?
Rajvanshi: Music, Meditation and Mental Happiness
[NB: a note to readers of my reviews: the text of my reviews at this site may change from time to time. As I listen for futher nuances in a song or body of work, I keep modifying or adding to my thoughts, making my reviews an organic "moveable feast". Since Fuzz Artists are constantly evolving, as are our own perspectives, I think Fuzz reviews should not be frozen in time. It's time to extend the power of real-time, web-based music discovery, by making our reviews, "wiki-reviews."]
Your thoughts on those 5 pieces are all either on-the-spot or quite close to what I had in mind. There is no need to paraphrase your words, but I would like to point out some lines of which I took particular notice:
"Turn the volume WAY UP on this one to capture the urgency and frightening intensity of the piece. CL’s concept here is, to me, a relentless representation of all that is electro-technical and "off-the-rails" in our lives. After hearing this piece in its mechanical (clock-work) dehumanizing “busy-ness”, you only find a brief and restless repose at the end at 1.16-1.19. CL's piece makes us plead: Surely, our lives, while “tick-tock productive” in the abstract, must mean more. This is a high-voltage start to jolt our sensibilities into looking for that something more – whatever that may be."
Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Your interpretation captures the essence of this piece flawlessly.
"I was struck by the juxtaposition of identity and emphasis in the dual purpose of the (!) at the beginning of “!solation”. It is, perhaps, the primacy and emphatic self-importance that we all give to the “I” in our solipsistic selves that results, indeed, in our existential isolation from our fellow beings. All we can hear is the beating of our own heart and not the hearts of our fellow man."
Incredibly keen and thoughtful take on this, I must say. What is an exclamation point (!) other than an "I" with a break in it?
"This summation, though, while thought-provoking, is a somber reminder that the Anthem of our lives may be, in the end, a Silent one."
I think it's safe to say that the human race has been and are curious about the subject of death and the afterlife. Questions such as "What will happen after we die?" "Is there a Heaven and Hell?"--and most significant to the concept of this piece "Will anyone remember who we were?"--surface.
Again, I thank you for your thought-provoking review and hope others here on Fuzz will come to appreciate not only the music, but also the concepts behind "999 Seconds."
As I have been experimenting with the fuzz site to find ways to better leverage input of Artist and Fan alike, I find that, increasingly, a distinctive element to give fuzz a "signature indie cool" [if I may be permitted to so describe it - at least prospectively and tentatively] is the growing Artist/Fan interactivity on this site to generate value-added content, step-by-step, and a different way to present/discover music in the web-based era.
There are a multitude of music sites out there that are seeking the "Rosetta Stone" to demystify all that is still mysterious about music creation and appreciation in a strange world. However, I think fuzz is onto something here if Artists, as your goodself and Echo Root , are able to create "community with street cred" an elusive quality that is not self-generated but bestowed. Let's see how this plays out in the fullness of time.