Shulman - In Search Of A Meaningful Moment

[Shaft]

Shulman - In Search Of A Meaningful Moment

 

Tracklist:

 

1. Inner Selves

2. The Unexpected Visitor

3. A Magnificent Void

4. Conciousness Revoked

5. Random Lifelines

6. Mushroom Therapy

7. Another Paradigm

8. Instability

 

 

[ Discogs link: http://www.discogs.com/release/236012 ]

 

Review:

 

So, this is the second album from Shulman - released on his own label, Aleph Zero. Let's just jump straight into the tracks, shall we?

 

1. Inner Selves

 

Starts off with birds singing, chimes and slow pads - slowly getting louder and louder. More layers build up and up, fractured melodies and effects envelope us, then a slow reversed cymbal leads us into a lovely, mellow chant. The track is at it's most richest here, and eventually leads you into a thick, groovy bassline and slow percussion. Effects are littered all over the place here, leading into synth lines, percussion - but the flow is excellent and this track is extremely lush - making it extremely appealing. Another thing that stands out here is the clever use of meter - although the track is written in 4/4 measure, we get a few bars that mix things up a little. All in all, amazing track!!

 

2. The Unexpected Visitor

 

This track feels slightly faster, but there is no less attention to detail. Bubbling synth lines, heavy reverb and little reverses are the name of the game here. What's great about this track is that Shulman is mixing the electronic with acoustic instruments - there's a sublime flute line twisting and turning throughout the track - accompanied by only the sweetest grooves, arpeggios and pads. In fact if I was to comment on every single aspect of this track, this review would be several pages long! Other elements in the track that are amazing is a nice electric guitar that pops up later in the track. Great track!

 

3. A Magnificent Void

 

Again, heavy use of effects, but this isn't a bad thing - as we get a lot of variety in every track. A soothing female voice this time fills out the track and takes it to a new dimension. Though that pad texture that comes in later on is equally lush, and compliments the half groove we have in the introduction. Eventually, two minutes, the track breaks into a proper groove - and surprisingly, it isn't 4/4! I also admire the fact that Shulman has packed so many layers into his tracks but it doesn't sound like a complicated mess - sounds very balanced to my ears. Again, the arpeggios here are beautiful, and the whole experience is top notch. Unbelivable!

 

4. Conciousness Revoked

 

Lush pads and chanting here in the introduction. We get some timbales here and some playing around with the vocal sample. The drum beat here uses some lovely electronic percussion as the main focus of the track - heavily processed and mashed up of course - along with the chant, timbales and a fat bass guiding us along. The track then breaks down into a very melancholic electric piano section with some light pads. It's amazing beautiful here, but it's a shame that it only lasts as long as it does. It comes back a little later in the track though, along with some acoustic guitar playing some fast stabs. Lots of effects in this track make it very interesting to listen to. Gorgeous!!

 

5. Random Lifelines

 

Well, the quality of the first four tracks make this one a slight disappointment. It's just a little random for my taste. Yes, we have nice use of percussion, bass and effects - but I'm thinking there's a little too much effects and not enough melody. But even though it's not quite my taste, it's still a great track in itself. OK track!

 

6. Mushroom Therapy

 

After the slight disappointment of the previous track, this one makes up a lot for it. Again, we have the trademark Shulman effects. This track is very oriental influenced - with an ethnic instrument leading at least the intro, and quite a lot of the main bulk of the song too. The groove here is mashed up and processed - it seems different every bar. Of course this makes for a lovely track - coupled with subtle pads, sequences and other elements appearing and disappearing make this a very good track indeed. Thumbs up!

 

7. Another Paradigm

 

This is a little bit of an oddity - although a great beatless track in itself, it could have easily been placed at the start or the end to create a better flow. This is entirely synth based - only the occasional vocal here and there. Nice track but I think it could have been better placed.

 

8. Instability

 

If you haven't got the album yet, I recommend that you at least download this track from Shulman's website - http://www.shulman.info - it's free of charge. This is easily the best track on the album. Chants, pads and effects start up the track in the introduction. When the bassline enters, you get the feeling that this is going to be a faster track - but unusually, this track starts slowly and builds up. Shulman just maintains the slow pace but doesn't change the tempo - only doubling the speed of the drums later in the track - and when he does this, it breaks into an almighty drum and bass / psybient chill crossover track (or whatever you want to call it) - with perhaps the best synth melody in the entire album. This track stands out because it's just so varied - we even get a taste of piano here and there.

 

Well... the trip is over. This album contains so many emotions, all sorts of weird special effects, ethnic percussion, chanting, subtle melodies, wonderful pads, rhythm manipulation - basically all you could want from an album in this genre. It's just so good! Now excuse me, because I think I'm going to go put it on again...

 

Favourites: 1(!!), 2(!!), 3(!!), 4(!!!), 6(!), 8(!!!!)

 

Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/ale/ale1cd001.html

[Charlie]

Nice review, Shaft. Instability, as you say, is truly a masterpiece and probably the best climax to any psy trance/ambient trance album.

[Shaft]

Nice review, Shaft.  Instability, as you say, is truly a masterpiece and probably the best climax to any psy trance/ambient trance album.

545295[/snapback]

Yes it is... Stunning track.

 

By the way I was surprised that no-one had reviewed this album properly - I expected that DeathPosture would have reviewed it (he did give a nod to it in the Natural Born Chillers thread, but nothing more) - but he didn't... tsk...

 

C'mon Martin!!

 

We want a review!

[Snapinho]

I can not (I repeat NOT) get into Shulman. I just can't. I think I have a pretty good taste in chillout/ambient/whatever but Shulman is totally wasted on me. It sounds too artificial, prefigured, emotionless... It starts to irritate me too quick, which good music shouldn't.

 

Can't find anything good about this.. I'm very sorry to all fans, but I really don't understand this music somehow..

[Shaft]

Emotionless? Try Consciousness Revoked...

[abasio]

I prefered the 1st album but the last track here, instability is really good. Beautiflu and very emotional IMO.

I suggest giving this another try if you don't like it instantly. I didN7t get this at first but it grew on me a lot.

[Tox]

I can not (I repeat NOT) get into Shulman. I just can't. I think I have a pretty good taste in chillout/ambient/whatever but Shulman is totally wasted on me. It sounds too artificial, prefigured, emotionless... It starts to irritate me too quick, which good music shouldn't.

 

Can't find anything good about this.. I'm very sorry to all fans, but I really don't understand this music somehow..

551461[/snapback]

Don't feel bad about it, although I don't share your opinion at àll.

I have the same feelings about S--- SShhpp----Shponghle

 

Fav tracks on this one: 2 & 6, but as a whole it's one of the best chill-cd's I own

[Snapinho]

Track 2: oooh wow, it's a flute! Now that's a very underlighted instrument, could we hear some more of these mystical tones? I'm a so emotionally touched I want to cry. Sigh... It's not only Shulmans fault, it's a general lack of creativity to me. Stop using ethnic vocals and flutes, PLEASE! The track does break down in a sweet little guitar melody with an evenly cute beat under it.

 

I put on ' Consciousness Revoked' and feel that if he'd put some kind of dubby beat (or any other kind of rhythm to create constancy), it might have been a great song. But when it stays like this, I can't feel too compassionate about it. Hmmm, it gets better towards the end, the metallic-ish idm-ish inspired ticks sound cool, but still..

 

Now what I don't like about track 6: the vocals are just enormously annoying, I've heard those a thousand times in slightly different versions and they all manage to irritate the shit out of me. Try something new, pleeeaaaze! Other than that it really sounds a lot like Shpongle, which isnt a bad thing, but well... It still sounds too much like a 'thought up' connection of sounds without the organic touch to it, without ... well ... I'ma go say it again: emotion, feeling. Where is it? Shulman sure knows his way round his computer, his synths and touchpads, but ... it lacks melody.

 

Finally Instability: vocals sound pretty good, atmospheric layers also work well, other sounds keep sounding random from time to time but this is more coherent than the rest of his album. Even the chanting monks (originality, helloooooooo) don't sound that bad. Yeah, I guess this song is the best on the album: it's got emotion and all that. It's idmbient-ish. And it might even be considered a little trippy, which I like.

Plus I think Charlie rightfully considered this the climax of the album and it does indeed very much climaxic. Right on!

 

Ok, I know keep saying "it's not bad" instead of "this is wonderful" but you have to understand where I came from.

And you know what it is... It is very well produced, he's created some really trippy sounds, but overall it just sounds like a well put together dadaistic collage of layers of sounds. It's too random to be coherent.

Another point is: I wouldnt play this in the chillout and that is one kind of criterium for me. Another is whether I could put this on when tripping. And I wouldnt: for listening music I'd still prefer FSOL, the Orb, Boards of Canada, Solar Fields, Higher Intelligence Agency etc. etc.

 

But I'm still glad some people like it, he definitely didn't waste his efforts, hehehe.

[frix]

this album is a true masterpiece.

[dunkey]

wow! unbelivible album, radiant and mystic. I enjoy it so much

[Uth]

Has anybody else liked "The Unexpected Visitor" as much as I did? The track is a pure bliss!

Every time I listen to it, it puts me into such pleasant and warm vibe it's hard to forget.

 

This album is wonderful! Definetly shpongle lovers wet dream.

 

10/10

 

Hell I'd even give it an 11

[Basilisk]

2003? Has it been so long? This is an enduring classic of modern psychedelic downtempo. Beautiful, beautiful music.

[psytones]

^yeah I love this and the debut album of Shulman, real beautiful and allienated music with tons of mystical smiles.

Too bad his later offerings for me became too much and didn't sooth my taste at all, even though their more complex and well done, I would for ever preffer Shulmans two first albums.