Janek Schaefer — In the last hour

In the last hour is organic come electronic shifting ambient soudworld  with  mystique concrete elements- inspired by Iain Banks novel The Bridge . Primary commissioned  for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in 2005, recorded in the local Town Hall- with the audience lying down in the dark with the sound coming from above and all around.

Schaefer utilizes and meddles with all manner of sound to paint rich and often melodic canvas of living sound, included are: Magnus mini chord organ, grand piano, bell, music box, clarinet, vinyl manipulations, town hall organ, and numerous location recordings. The atmosphere seems to constantly evolving and changing slowly- from slow eruption of warm ambience drift into rhythmic location recordings, drifting into sweet  piano pitter patter, to jazzy smoked licked atmospheres, to fields of restful drone craft. There seems so much detail and clarity of sound , one feels as if there on a audio adventure out in the plains of sound strange and oddly formed world. But this is  never particular  threaten or creepy this is lush skin warming territory , though it does dip into more  melancholy air here and there. It all lasts  coming on for an hour ,split into four tracks that real act as markers more than anything. This has to be experience all in one sitting with a clear and relaxed mind, that’s ready to drift off new and  mystifying  places.

This is the first of Janek Schaefer works I’ve heard, but it certainly  wont be my last – he really seems to mix sound elements and musically mood in a way that’s very much his own. An endless rewarding and intricate sound world, you’ll want to relive again and again. All rather charmingly   packed in a very red shelve with a great fold out land scape in the middle.To  find more info & buy direct go to here