Nautilus
Waveshaper, 2021
9/10
Allen Ravenstine shifts into a longer listen for this 3rd installment of The Tyranny Of Fiction, where his avant-garde approach is even more atypical, and recruits Bob Doidge (trumpet), Frank Greco (trumpet), Giacomo Liguori (percussion), William Blakeney (digital synth, mellotron, bass, guitar, piano) and others for the highly creative 10 tracks.
“Fog (Devil’s Island Mix)” starts the listen with the sounds of water alongside soft guitar and spoken word, as accordion-like sounds enter the calm landscape that also brings piano and strings, and “A Day At The Beach” follows with moody keys, the sounds of a phone ringing, fireworks, and, later on, strategic trumpet amid the plucked bass from Issar Shulman.
Further into the adventure, the title track leads with soft droning before cozy beats enter alongside the calming ambience, while “Java Head” opens with orchestral strings before Donata Greco’s dreamy flute complements the cautiousness. “Tuxedo Moonlight”, the album’s best, then textures itself around a hypnotic climate and wordless vocals that are executed with precision.
The final 2 tracks don’t disappoint either, where “Moonlight Marimba” indeed showcases playful marimba, and “Red Skies” extends into sci-fi like territory, as strings and a darker spirit wraps itself around the sonic manipulation that few others could replicate.
A body of work that certainly stems from the previous 2 installments of the series and also points towards his time in Pere Ubu, Nautilus makes excellent use of acoustic and electronic sounds, and truly illustrates that Ravenstine is as prolific as he is innovative.
Travels well with: Allen Ravenstine- Shore Leave; Allen Ravenstine- Electron Music