Gnome & Spybey :: Reflective (The Crime League)

This new Gnome & Spybey explores the possibilities of synthesizers, disrupted collage sounds and harmonic piano touches around touchingly emotional ambient pieces in a pure classy vein.

Signed on the highly productive and pluralistic electronic music label Crime League, this new Gnome & Spybey explores the possibilities of synthesizers, disrupted collage sounds and harmonic piano touches around touchingly emotional ambient pieces in a pure classy vein. Renown actors in the world of experimental music Mark Spybey (Zoviet France, Dead Voices on Air) and Tony D’oporto (Gnomes of Kush) provide a seducing and spacious futuristic synth ambient meditative album which fluctuates between impressionistic evocativeness, slow moving tones and more kinetic electronic grooves punctuated by discreet manipulated field noises.

Reflective sounds generally more accessible, restful and emotional than their first offering for The Crime League whose aesthetic qualities were more turned to sonic abstractions and concept music. The more I go into this delightful harmonious contemplative musical call, the more I feel reminiscences from elaborate minimalist sound paintings of Eno, Cluster, Harmonia, to mantra-like piano repetition of Florian Frike and Berlin School of Kosmische Musik (notably in a track such as “Achim.”) The delicate piano touches are beautifully intertwined with resonating electronic tones and elegantly moving melodious phrases. Each track develops its own meaning spaciousness. Featuring some interesting melodic themes and micro-events which give to the ensemble a rather narrative feeling behind the long diatonic synth chordal moves.

Reflective is an inspiring, smoothly and subtly experimental cosmic synthesized album where simple acoustic timbres operate with rich harmonic sound textures. Enveloping sound environment and appropriate listening experience for lonely geo-poetical wanderings outside of linear time.

Reflective is available on The Crime League.