02 Spaceman , Earth Affair: Chapter One

Earth Affair - Chapter One
Skip Records Release
Wednesday 12. maí, 2004 - Fólk í fréttum MBL - Iceland Earth Affair - Chapter One ***

"A Hot Pot"
REVIEW

Gulli Briem has released his second solo album Earth Affair "Chapter One", but 2001 he released the album "Earth" which was only released in Iceland. The Earth connection continues and Gulli uses the name "Earth Affair" this time.

The album is called "Chapter one" so we can expect that there will be a sequel.

Earth affair is a rather humble release, because Gulli´s name doesn´t appear on the album front cover, but if you browse through the booklet you will see that all of the songs are written & co-written by him and there is an array of people from different places contributing to the record, all superior talents in their field, to bring the songs into the right frame.

Worth mentioning is U2´s and Depeche Mode producer "Flood" The gregorian singers "Voces Thules" and the irish bag-pipist Michael McGoldrick and last but not least Morten Harket, the great singer from A-Ha. The song that Morten performs is maybe not the best song on the album, but the silky voice takes it to another level. There is some longing and an eagerness to travel in his voice that really grab´s you. Travel is the red thread here, Earth Affair spacy, modern worldmusic, which seeks influences from scottish folk music, hypnotic Arabic grooves, and french pop finesse, just to mention a few influences. In most of the songs vocal is not in the leading role, but more as a atmosphere, with airy voices and the mysterious gregorian singing of "Voces Thules",that gives the listener space to read into the music what he wants. The images on the CD cover reflect this, the wide open space of the icelandic horizon with green Northern lights images. There is a certain relaxation and broadness in the sound that lifts the music up. This is a comfortable music that sometimes take´s you into a cool smart cafe, where everything is wooden and brushed steel(French Touch) and sometimes insented air in Tunisian Camps "Tunisia" a really good and tight song which is a fine mix of streamlined modern pop, soothing arabic groove and turkish folktheme. Most interesting are the songs where these cultural influences are nitted into the whole picture, it gives the familiar "trip hop" and space moods more energy than otherwise. Some of the songs you will find in in different version´s on Gulli´s first album. It must be said that the changes on those songs are very noticeble, here the melodies get to breathe, unneccacery arrangements are thrown out and much more energy and originality can be found in the rythm arrangement. Monk voices and Irish pipes over a modern groove is maybe nothing new, some would say even a clishay, but this is not an overdose and put together tastfully with interesting flavours and sounds from various instruments,that lead the songs. A comfortable "world trip" that end´s "Chapter one" in Iceland, maybe in a hot tub under moving Northern lights

Steinunn Haraldsdóttir © Morgunblaðið, 2004
http://www.earthaffair.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Earth
• Affair:
• Chapter
• One
• Morten
• Harket
• Gildas
• Prayer
• Spaceman
• New
• Age

[krogenx]

It's on iTunes. Search for "Earth Affair".

[zephyrous7]

so nice music!! it's a pity there is nowhere to download this album! thanx for uploading!

[cabanneabois]

very great tune!!!

many thanks =)