Flowers Of Hell O [CD/DVD] (Optical)
4/5
By: Bethany Moran
In what becomes an incredibly rare and inventive treat, The Flowers of Hell’s latest instrumental project, O (a single 45 minute long track in which repetition of any sort is avoided), is completely removed from anything we might label as “mainstream” or “radio-friendly”. For it, the group’s founder and composer, Greg Jarvis, has gathered 16 or so independent musicians from around the world in order to form what he terms a “trans-Atlantic space rock orchestra”. In an ambitious attempt to achieve “absolute music”, that is, music that simply exists in its own right without explicitly aiming to express anything external, Jarvis blends improvisations within a fixed song structure; channelling a body of swirling sounds into a particular brand of neo-classical post-rock.
As a double-sided CD/DVD disc, O can also be appreciated alongside footage of various other live, and perhaps less abstract, performances (not to mention an Art Nouveau inspired animated video for the previous single, ‘Opus 66,’). Live At The Music Gallery captures the unique ensemble performing as a 14-piece orchestra, launching their former work ‘Come Hell Or High Water’.
Perhaps the main source of intrigue results from the fact that Jarvis suffers from synaesthesia, an incredibly rare neurological condition that causes the senses to intermingle. In Jarvis’ case, he physically visualises shapes in relation to sounds, and his compositional technique is largely bound up with his timbre-to-shape visions. Recorded in one take, O becomes an intensely personal experience. Whilst we may not physically see the shapes that Jarvis imagines, the meticulous layering and crafting of the music nonetheless makes for a truly unique sensory experience. Amidst a shimmering cornucopia of sounds and murmurings, some truly beautiful and eerie melodic passages delicately meander into view, almost as if of their own accord. Built-up textures of varying sounds float in and out, seemingly unaware of space and time. With its ever-changing character and organic nature, O maintains a certain dreamy, ethereal quality.
Recognisably, Jarvis’s realisation of O demands a high level of musicianship and talent amongst its orchestral players. But it’s somewhat easy to get caught up in the overall artistic vision, and the piece can be as enchanting as it is challenging. Spanning over forty-five minutes, the seeming lack of direction and refusal to form any distinct shape can, at times, be rather unsettling. Whilst its freedom is arguably part of its beauty that leaves some with a feeling of wonder and awe; others may be left waiting for ‘something’ to happen. Nonetheless, if approached with patience and without former preconceptions, O becomes Jarvis’s most fascinating and potently creative statement yet.
Artists in this article: Flowers of Hell
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