Australian duo Solo Andata's third release entitled Ritual is an album made for, set to and, essentially is, the night. Incorporating field recordings and organic material into their lineup of instrumentation, Paul Fiocco and Kane Ikin create dim soundscapes with a color palette consisting of black and the occasional dark gray tones. Surely, one wouldn't have to look past more than Ritual's sleeve artwork in order to comprehend its theme-- but Solo Andata's intent is not to terrify the listener. The experience is much like observing a mass of billowing storm clouds within the comfort of home.
Ritual ventures into the nocturne from the very beginning with "Aggregate": layers of bird and cricket chirps, owl moans, and untraceable ululations begin to overlap one another into a murky environment that requires sifting through in order to keep balance. However, its formless and vast arrangement is a setting worth getting lost in. The danger is fairly distant; nature is the only thing imminent, though it may be too dark to be aware of. By no means is this scenery bleak, even though there is an inherent sense of apprehension conjured from it.
The following "Carving" delves into obscurity even further with its overshadowing minor-key timbre, quivering violin, and undulating, resonant hums. The title, Ritual is justified here: with an initial interpretation, Solo Andata's sounds are reckoned surreal and eerie-- yet there is something meditative at heart, and the milieu requires adaptation from the listener. "Myrmecia" features intertwined recordings of a trek through this habitat: crackling, slithering, and squeaking-- akin to an arduous walk through a muddy lake, with broken branches and twigs sunken at the bottom. The side-long closer "Incantare" is where Ritual swells and gains a pulse, as it fluctuates through various sequences, evolving until concluding its existence with a delicate wind.
With Ritual, Solo Andata put forth a representation of the sporadic and otherworldly setting that is completely of their own. Its active nocturnal realm is not only unusual, but its conditions remain open to familiarization as long as the listener commits adequate participation. Ritual is an abyss of unimaginable capabilities that sets new boundaries on the musical spectrum and leaves me anxious to see what the future holds for Solo Andata and the Desire Path label.
[Solo Andata Myspace]
[Buy Ritual from Desire Path Recordings]
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