| Maybe when you dream you see strange shapes that are pleasant from afar, but upon closer inspection begin to resemble repetitive acts of soft-core, apocalyptic violence. Perhaps you appreciate the way the concrete reflects a fiery sunset only to realize that the source of so many reds and oranges isn’t the sun, but a forest fire. Or maybe you see a lake from the interstate you’re driving on, and pull over to take a dip only to find that the lake is designated an environmental disaster site, full of so much pollution and broken glass that entering its depths would mean certain death. This is what Mirrors for Eyes, the newest record from Caural—aka Zachary Mastoon—sounds like. The majority of the record is odd, but dreamy and laced with a strange ethereal energy. From the album’s opening guitar strums, like angel’s harps ascending to heaven, it’s clear Mastoon is pushing his hybrid of samples, beats and computers into a realm not often attempted, and less often achieved, in the realm of technology driven music—these songs, or most of them anyway, are infused with an uncanny sense of magic. “Re-Experience Any Moment You Choose,” opens with shaky vocal samples and keys accompanied by distant chimes and piano plinking before a cymbal splash invites the beat in. The array of sounds that open the song are so organic that the beats are almost shocking. Many of the album’s highlights ascribe to a similar theme. The ambience that whispers into life on “Hallucination Broadcast” slowly grows and transforms into a natural, meditative drone, underscored by hand drums before the thick, and tight beats drop in to shake up nature and wake up the tree gazers. Much of this success carries over into Caural’s collaborations with vocalists. While “Cold Hands” with Hrishikesh Hirway and “Only Time Will Tell” with Jacob Croegnaert don’t quite fit into the album’s overall scheme, the first part of the “Transition Suite” makes fine use of Racecar’s natural delivery. Even more impressive is “Cruel Fate of Spring,” a truly inspired pop nugget featuring Paul Amitai crooning over warm electric piano and a slew of other subtle textures. In a genre that is known for producing scores of background music, it’s nice to find an album like Caural’s Mirrors for Eyes. Not content with simply honing technical precision, Zachary Mastoon has crafted an elegant, and fascinating record that explores the dim, unexpected corners where the natural world and technology meet. By infusing his songs with so much natural beauty, the beats and samples almost come across as ugly. Unlike the grim examples that opened this review, however, electronic coldness is an ugliness that only contributes to the album’s overall beauty. - 30 Music |
2XLP/Out Of Print