Medusa Dreaming
Neuman, 2021
8/10
An album that thematically surrounds water, Ros Bandt and the Medusa Ensemble create an ambient journey of electro-acoustic improvisation that also recruits the sounds of glass, carp feeding and even trees growing.
“The Tears of Yerebatan Palace” starts the listen with the sounds of water drips, gentle percussion, flute call to water and glass lachrimae into 8 minutes of mysterious and soothing exploration, and this creativity continues to the stretched slide whistles, percussion and international words for Turned Into Stone that makes “Frozen Locks, Athena’s Curse” so inviting.
Further into the listen, the dreamy harp of “Water Through Glass” complements the glass through clay and tarhu playing on the album standout, while “Corinthian Song” brings live processing, a Renaissance tenor recorder, percussion, harp and electric guitarviol to an eastern influenced and meticulous landscape.
Deeper still, “Basilica Dreaming” was recorded in the Australian desert with windharps as multicultural voices give the droning backdrop much atmosphere, and “52 Steps to the Future of Water” exits the listen amid the sounds of flowing water, hazy strings and wordless vocals that help cultivate a very unique mood.
An accomplished environmental sound artist, composer, performer, sound sculptor, sound recordist, designer and musician, Bandt brings along Natalia Mann (harp), Erdem Helvacioglu (live processing, electric guitarviol), and Izzet Kizil (percussion) for a fascinating and absorbing adventure that makes precise use of every second.
Travels well with: Juraj Kojs- Imagine; Pamela Z- A Secret Code