Muzika za pionirske ruske astronaute izgubljene u svemiru.
Downing je "post-rock violončelist".
Downing je "post-rock violončelist".
Six minutes of ambient swells beneath an eerie chorus of
high-pitched, soft-edged cries equally beautiful yet haunting: such is
the opening to Cosmic Conspiracy by US-based and self-proclaimed ‘post-rock cellist’, David Downing.
After such mellifluous greetings that ensnare the listener in a kind of
trance, opening track “Whale Song” proceeds to dive beneath the surface
– its plucked, fairly muted bass melody and dream-like lead line
portraying the other-worldliness of the watery depths. Beyond some
minimalist percussive work and hints of the opening whale cries, the
piece remains constant and, in time, simply stops. It’s as though our
tracking of this creature has suddenly come to an end, the whale
plunging to depths beyond our reach.
As can perhaps be ascertained, Cosmic Conspiracy is a very visually suggestive album, and simplistically so, with stark track titles that establish the settings and images being conveyed by the music. The extraordinary and diverse bowing and plucking are the foundations, forming repetitive and lengthy compositions that gradually progress the scene rather than quickly tug it in different directions. This can produce fairly bare pieces, such as “The Storm” and the slightly meandering closer, “Cosmic Conspiracy”, but beneath the looping lines, do ambient noises and more avant-garde playing occasionally dwell, and the music is all the more colourful in such instances; the stages suddenly seem populated with props and characters (the eerie whale in the opener being the salient example).
Employing a classical instrument in an album of thoroughly modern composition is an approach very dear to my heart, but ultimately it is with Downing’s more traditional pieces that most succeed in captivating. The adjoining tracks of “Sarah’s Song” and “Mérida” are each beautiful pieces, conveying completely contrasting moods. The understated former provokes a sense of reminiscence for a lost childhood, its restrained bass part marrying perfectly with the liberated whimsy of the lead line, conjuring images of a quiet boy being in the thrall of a wild and free girl. “Mérida”darkens the mood absolutely. Its bellicose bowing attacks and withdraws unpredictably but with unrelenting intensity, reminiscent of Jonny Greenwood’s superb and minimalist There Will Be Blood soundtrack. It also contains the album’s defining mood change, suddenly switching to chaotic desperation with a passage of fluid chordal changes and interwoven lead lines, before gradually calming and segueing into hope with an almost Celtic conclusion.
Masterful and creative playing aside, when Downing uses his highly lyrical instrument to give voice and heart to his vacant and well-defined landscapes, the experience is truly transporting. - Chris Redfearn
As can perhaps be ascertained, Cosmic Conspiracy is a very visually suggestive album, and simplistically so, with stark track titles that establish the settings and images being conveyed by the music. The extraordinary and diverse bowing and plucking are the foundations, forming repetitive and lengthy compositions that gradually progress the scene rather than quickly tug it in different directions. This can produce fairly bare pieces, such as “The Storm” and the slightly meandering closer, “Cosmic Conspiracy”, but beneath the looping lines, do ambient noises and more avant-garde playing occasionally dwell, and the music is all the more colourful in such instances; the stages suddenly seem populated with props and characters (the eerie whale in the opener being the salient example).
Employing a classical instrument in an album of thoroughly modern composition is an approach very dear to my heart, but ultimately it is with Downing’s more traditional pieces that most succeed in captivating. The adjoining tracks of “Sarah’s Song” and “Mérida” are each beautiful pieces, conveying completely contrasting moods. The understated former provokes a sense of reminiscence for a lost childhood, its restrained bass part marrying perfectly with the liberated whimsy of the lead line, conjuring images of a quiet boy being in the thrall of a wild and free girl. “Mérida”darkens the mood absolutely. Its bellicose bowing attacks and withdraws unpredictably but with unrelenting intensity, reminiscent of Jonny Greenwood’s superb and minimalist There Will Be Blood soundtrack. It also contains the album’s defining mood change, suddenly switching to chaotic desperation with a passage of fluid chordal changes and interwoven lead lines, before gradually calming and segueing into hope with an almost Celtic conclusion.
Masterful and creative playing aside, when Downing uses his highly lyrical instrument to give voice and heart to his vacant and well-defined landscapes, the experience is truly transporting. - Chris Redfearn
“Downing’s
cello work is subtle and engaging and fits seamlessly within the
constructs of Lamoureux’s earthy, up-tempo folk ballads. Together, the
cello and clarinet are in perfect balance.”
Lazy i.com
F E A T U R E D R E V I E W S
“David
Downing's cello work is almost as huge a psychic presence as Poloncic
himself, a counterpoint that deepens the sense of melancholy dread of
the tunes. Yet the tunes are also childlike, in a hermetic, hopeful way.”
Public Eyesore Records
"If you're in Omaha and there is cello music in the air, chances are, it's coming from David Downing."
Hal France, Kaneko
“David Downing's cello work is almost as huge a psychic
presence as Poloncic himself, a counterpoint that deepens the sense of
melancholy dread of the tunes. Yet the tunes are also childlike, in a hermetic,
hopeful way.” - Public Eyesore Records
David Downing is a post-rock cellist based in Omaha, NE. David has recorded with Nazir Jones on Street's Disciple album, Pi
Symphony's Inventions album,
Flowers Forever on Saddle Creek Records and Cher & Gene Klosner's
album Stardust, also on Saddle Creek. He has traveled the country
playing all over, from the streets of Portland to the mountains of
Arkansas to playing with Nas in Florida.
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