VARIOUS ARTISTS - One String Inspiration |
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28 songs |
We all agree on one thing: war sucks big time! Syria has been suffering for over six years already under a civil war where it is next to impossible for the layman to keep track of what is going on. But one thing’s for sure: millions of people are suffering, losing their homes, are fleeing from their war torn country. It is a good thing that there are NGOs doing their best to help. One such organisation is Syria Relief from England, and they are being supported now by this compilation of twenty-eight experimental artists. Released by the obscure net-label Submarine Broadcasting Company, the premise was a simple one: you can use regular instruments, but one instrument at least has to be a found or self-made one. Although there are some tracks that come close to being "normal" music, most artists dabble in experimental electronica and ambient sounds. And although one would expect the regular songs – from genres like dark wave to garagy post punk – to be the more accessible ones, it is in fact the stranger material which one keeps going back to. The use of the found and/or self-made instruments gives the music a certain field recordings atmosphere, and although the compilation nearly makes it to two hours, it never feels too long or self-indulgent. One might even wish these weird but beautiful sounds to never end. So all in all a very pleasant listening experience. I won’t start any name dropping, because I am certain that these artists are so obscure that hardly anyone has heard of them yet. But it is so refreshing to hear these motivated experimentalists instead of having to subjugate yourself to the nth benefit ballad from the likes of Sting and Bob Geldof. You can either buy the compilation on Bandcamp or get one of the very limited CDs. Either way, you are supporting a good cause and getting a lot of interesting sounds for your money. |