Remora - "Enamored"
(Silber Records 2005, silber038)
Remora - "Enamored"
(Silber Records 2005, silber038)
From Aural Innovations #31 (June 2005)
Remora was originally a solo project from Silber Records chieftain Brian John Mitchell, showcasing his guitar driven explorations into soundscapes and noise. Enamored is the first full length Remora album in four years and on this outing Mitchell places the focus more firmly on songs, in the process enlisting the aid of friends like Jamie Barnes and members of Aarktica and Rivulets. The songs are melodic, yet somewhat minimalist, and are played at a drugged dreamy pace. Imagine if Nick Drake were a modern day lo-fi singer/songwriter and you might get something like the songs on Enamored. But Mitchell hasn't completely abandoned the guitar soundscape journeys that were the foundation upon which Remora was formed. "Sorry Instrumental" is a swirling bit of ambient space, with a slow moving bass to give the atmospherics a rhythmic pulse. "Beams Stereo Sides" is a dreamy sampling of looped fun, not unlike the earliest Robert Fripp guitar-scape explorations. "True Glory" and "Arena" are brief slabs of sonic guitar aggression. And "Knockout" is a nearly 12 minute drone and soundscapes excursion. Lots of interesting ideas bit it an attentive headphones listen before I was able to warm up to it.
For more information you can visit the Silber Records web site at: http://www.silbermedia.com.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz