
A Minority of One - Bathe in Fiery Answer [Autumn Wind Productions - 2009]A Minority of One’s sound is very difficult to pin down, describe or put into any genre bracket, which in itself is reason alone to check them out. They mix up a very earthy, organic & often primal sound that often takes in percussive elements, natural based field recordings, droning horn work, dramatic male singing and drone textures. Bathe in Fiery Answer is an expanded and often reworked version of the bands debut cassette release from 2007 that was limited to just 66 copies; this reissue features the tapes original four tracks and adds on 5 new and exclusive tracks expanding the album to 67 minutes. The collective features Jason Hovatter Craban (Waldteufel), Markus Wolff (Waldteufel and L’Acéphale), Arrowyn Craban (editor of the bi monthly heathen lifestyle magazine Hex), Jason O’Neill-Butler, and James Woodhead (The Elemental Chrysalis and At The Head Of The Woods). A few of my favourite moments come in the form of: Cambry (Hart Of The Chyld) which starts out with a series of subtle looped & organic sounds that could well be a wooden wheel spinning mixed with the sound of bee buzz, theses sounds are set over the top of a soothing spring meadow field recordings. Soon a dramatic hunting horn bellow & brass drones enter, along with whirring and earthy percussive elements. These are all topped off with strange wolf like growling and barking, & bizarre throat singing like vocalising. The track just falls short of 14 minutes but is kept enjoyable, other and shifting as the collective adding in more found sound and dramatic strange rural sound. The opener Wave rolls which is a dramatic and Nordic like male cappella piece that mixers together deep baritone voices with tenor and higher alto signing tones; it really brings to mind ragged men in firs setting out on ornate wooden ships into the seas unknowing expanse- a wonderful heroic yet sombre piece. Though the whole disk is fairly consistent I’m still a little unshaw about the cover tracks that appear latter on. we have two reimagings of Beatles songs first we have Tomorrow never knows which is reborn with tinkling vibe tone and background horn drone with a single male voice intoning the tracks lyrics. Then there's She which users the bass line from She’s so heavy- the track starts out with reed tinkling tones before adding in a rain dance type drum. Then slowly but surely the Beatles song bass line and eventually the male harmonies and subtle psychedelic guitar lines are introduced. Both are interesting takes on these familiar songs but I’m not a 100% sure about either. All told Bathe in Fiery Answer is great introduction to this project distinct, earthy, & dramatic nature bound sound.To hear samples and buy direct drop in here      Roger Batty
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