[cd review]

i Am Esper, Glowing Valleys

THE DARK MEADOW ALLIANCE, part one

Dark Meadow Recordings, 2011

Reviewed by Kent Manthie

Since the middle part of this decade, Justin Palmieri has been working hard under the pseudonym, “Esper”. A short while ago he released his latest CD, this time for Dark Meadow Recordings, as he has been making discs for several different underground indie labels. His latest, Glowing Valleys, is on Dark Meadows Recordings. He’s also recorded for Svartgalgh Records and Frozen Tendril Records.

Glowing Valleys is a dreamscape CD with five songs. Five complex songs – averaging about 10 minutes per cut, Each song is layered with sonic sine waves, metallic axioms, minimalistic chill-out grooves as well as a sound, based, in part, on a riveting imagination.

New Brunswick, New Jersey native, Justin Palmieri uses an electric baritone guitar as his weapon of choice. He fills in the gaps with “found sounds”, acoustic noodling and any kind of field recordings, all to create keen soundscapes.

Finding Esper was a complete accident, which is how I have found a lot of the coolest music I’ve discovered. I received six discs from the UK and Esper is the first disc that I checked out. When thinking of what Justin’s stuff is going to sound like, think of Whitehouse, Aphex Twin and John Cage all rolled together, like a big blunt, laced with Ketamine.

Justin doesn’t use the typical rock & roll stuff, you know, loud, distorted guitars, synths, bombastic drums, et cetera. So, expect a tricky new sound that at first seems “normal” but the longer you hang in there, the more lysergic it becomes. In other words: PAY ATTENTION!

The way that he puts these discs together, it’s a strictly studio thing, as these fragile elements that have coalesced can never hope to be re-created in any live situation. So, each tune is a unique, one-of-a-kind opus that sounds like heaven, digitally.

For more information on I Am Esper, go to his website, www.msplinks.com, where you can peruse the merchandise and order anything that piques your interest.

-KM

i AM esper - Glowing Valleys

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