Album Information:
Asaf Sirkis & The Inner Noise dwelled on the sacred and
celestial on their debut album, Inner Noise, the result a caldron of
church-organ textures, electric guitar noodling, and “kaleidoscopic percussive
skills”. Such musical brooding has continued on to the second Inner Noise
album, We Are Falling, and this time Sirkis’ influences seem to be other
unearthly entities.
The giant asteroid that adorns the front and back of the
album gives the game away; Sirkis is now more interested in the melancholic
nature of space, rather than any theism.
Steve Lodder (keyboards) and Mike Outram (electric guitar)
again join Sirkis, and the musical result is in a similar vein to their debut
effort. This is a niche brand of fusion, gothic fusion to be precise, which is
more tidy and concerned with harmonic drones rather than variation. The
operatic wholeness of the first album also applies to We Are Falling, with
miniature electronic etudes interspersed amongst the tunes.
Galactic Citizen (Part 1) is such an etude. Lodder performs
solo, focusing on the lower register of the organ, slowly moulding chord shapes
and textures. There is a slight motif towards the end, a high-pitched repeating
note, as though the organ is impersonating a spacecraft siren. Such
descriptions might sound far-fetched, but this extravagant take on fusion-jazz
is what gives the albums its theatrical appeal.
Galactic Citizen (Part 2) starts
with this motif, but it is now accompanied by some explorative brushwork from
Sirkis. Outram is then introduced, laying down angular lines which complement
the harmonic progressions underneath. Aside from the in-your-face rock number
that is the album-titled track, there is a more laidback feel amongst the tunes
compared to their debut. Such a carefree approach to composition places a
greater emphasis on improvisation, giving the listener the impression that all
Sirkis would have given his band members were song sketches, and thus a three
way song writing credit. This is not the case, as documented in the album sleeve,
where Sirkis has stated all tracks were composed and arranged by him. It seems
a lot more work goes into such songs than initially one would expect
So, back to where we started, and that giant asteroid
image on the front of the album. This is a photograph of Ida, an asteroid so
huge that it has its own satellite/moon, Dactyl. Ida & Dactyl (& ghost
of Dactyl) is the name of the last track of the album. The album’s meditative
nature is still present, however this time Lodder fuses the textural effects of
the organ and the melodicism of the piano. Lodder plays like a man finally
unleashed from the chunky shackles of the organ, finally able to play melody!
It is the most rewarding tune on a wholly fulfilling album.
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