Charlemagne Palestine
Godbear

 ★★★★

A good day for me, music-wise. Charlemagne is known for his "minimalist" piano style that helped dominate the avant scene in New York for years to come. However I'd call his style anything but minimal. 

These three pieces hold a great amount of variation even though the method of their creation was quite similar. It's the little nuances and changes as each piece progresses, in which you discover Charlemagne's precision and genius. 

Starting off with arguably the most powerful and cinematic piece, "The Lower Depths" presents a sort of jagged but ever moving landscape. Much like a glacier rolling over green pastures and  centuries old villages, it dominates and leaves only complete sterility in its wake. You have to pay attention to the detailed changes in keys, only then can you really visualize the folding atmosphere within this song. 

"Strumming Music" is perhaps the short summary of the album with the same title. Summed up in eleven minutes I think this detracts from the overall effect of the piece but you basically get the idea. And in this set it's the most emotionally neutral. "Timbral Assault" travels a lot as it continues, becoming more harsh and powerful. I wonder why the ideas from this music were not expanded upon fully in the future. 

Favorite Song: The Lower Depths

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