All-instrumental music is very much an acquired taste, but once you’ve acquired it, it gets completely under your skin and won’t let go. And the new one from Kiwiland’s Jakob only adds to that aura.
Like their Sydney-based post-rock/instrumental counterparts sleepmakeswaves, these guys put much time, effort and creativity into crafting strange and beautiful soundscapes to enthral and entrap you. Unlike sleepmakeswaves however, who woo the listener with moods and dynamics before blasting you with walls of instrumental rock power, these Kiwis let that ‘wooing’ do most of the talking. There’s certainly much ebb and flow, but it is a little more subtle in its delivery and effect.
The seven tracks on offer here are long, dense and, while they may be quite tough going for those uninitiated in the idiosyncrasies of progressive instrumental music, if you let them into your soul they are truly compelling. The use of real strings on a track like the aptly-titled Harmonia only adds to the dark, melancholic beauty of the piece.
Be patient with this one folks. Give yourself, heart and soul, to Sines, and you will find yourself in the midst of a truly immersive listening experience.
BY ROD WHITFIELD
Best Track: Harmonia
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: sleepmakeswaves, TANGLED THOUGHTS OF LEAVING, MUSHROOM GIANT
In A Word: Beautiful
