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F.S. BLUMM, "ZWEITE MEER" |
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Written by Gord Fynes
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Sunday, 17 April 2005 |
After hopping back and forth between a few different record labels over
the past four years, Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist, Frank Schültge
Blumm, has returned to the Morr Music fold for his latest release, Zweite Meer.
I found myself easily drawn to his lush and gorgeous compositional
style, which is just as influenced by modern, minimalist classical as
it is pop music.
Morr Music
 For the most part, Blumm's tunes originate from guitar
and bass strummings and pluckings that warmly become enveloped with
instrumental layers of harmonium, accordion, vibraphone and minimal
keyboard effects. Having devoted serious studies towards music, his
knowledge, placement and performances with such instruments has been
done very tastefully and with no discordance. Although a pop music
element is present on the disc's compositions, the one facet not
included (and not at all missed) is the bright tempos. Tracks such as
"Nie" and "Langen" move at a slower, yet comfortable clip for plucked
guitar progressions to leave the ample space which is beautifully
colored by strokes of xylophone and blocks of harmonium with melodies
furnished on melodica and glockenspiel. Brisker tempos would only
muddle these brilliant and emotive performances. "Blick" consists of a
base of sparse, drop-tuned acoustic guitar strumming and weaving
melodica lines propelled by subtle vibraphone flams. Already rife with
cinematic-styled orchestrations and evocations, the addition of a
soaring French Horn performance from Harald Ziegler seals the deal to
make this my favorite track on the disc (not to mention a new-found
respect for the French Horn). The musically rich David Grubbs lends his
unique vocals to the disc's closing track, "Nachhall/Chroma Key," with
lyrics verging on stream-of-consciousness based around the set of a
television show. Zweite Meer is a disc of warm and amicable
tunes, and as its cover suggests, is the musical equivalent of laying
back on the grass and picking out cloud shapes as a lazy afternoon
drifts by.
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