The Cardboard Falcon is a profoundly vibrant, impressionistic, cinematic, slow-moving, and melodically oriented neoclassical album that will lead the listener to a state of serenity and contemplation.
Shrouded by a sense of elegance and touching grace
Mico Nonet is a multi-faceted and semiclassical ambient chamber orchestra from Santa Barbara (California). The line-up is a quintet with Efe Baltacigil on cello, Carrie Dennis on viola, Katherine Needleman on oboe, oboe d’amore, English horn, David Cooper on French horn, and Joshua Lee Kramer on synthesizer, guitar. All musicians are skilled and have integrated valuable positions in various orchestras such as Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra… I must say that the musical background is quite impressive, meaningful, and solid.
Lee Kramer is the sound artist who subtly articulates the various acoustic musical components through imaginative electronic filters and treatments. I used to love the innovative and brilliant musical dialogues between acoustic instrumentation and electronic devices such as Murcof, Hauschka, Michael Jacaszek in their respective works. Contrary to a critically acclaimed project such as Kiasmos, the electronic ingredients are reduced to the minimum to give major space to expressive acoustic and neoclassical instrumentation.
You will not find heavy beat-laden atmospheres here but more emotionally transportive, soothing, enveloping, and vibrant cinematic sequences, shrouded by a sense of elegance and touching grace, sublimated by meandering electronic textures and discreet oscillations. The album succeeds in creating a deep interaction between warm, breathing organic phrases and more disembodied abstract motifs. All tracks flow harmoniously, guided by a sense of melodious sorrow and deliciously enriched by slight presences of hope rising at a distance.
All in all, The Cardboard Falcon is a profoundly vibrant, impressionistic, cinematic, slow-moving, and melodically oriented neoclassical album that will lead the listener to a state of serenity and contemplation. Recommended listening experience for introspective healing moments and lonesome days. Fans of neoromantic music with electro-acoustic arrangements like Högni (Erased Tapes) or Icelandic composers for Bedroom Community won’t be disconcerted.
The Cardboard Falcon is available on Ninevolt Labs. [Bandcamp]
