10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
not good enough to last, Dec 25 2007
By Bazarov - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Cosmos (Audio CD)
If you like your ambient intimate and soothing, don't buy this album. If you prefer soundscapes and aural journeys, you might give it a try. But if you do, you may be disappointed.
Until now, Murcof albums were always multi-purpose - you could give them your full attention, and be deeply gratified in doing so, or you could let your mind wander and drift into a state of relaxation. That latter option is out the window with Cosmos. Right from the start, a virtuoso mixture of electronics and classical instruments (mostly strings & winds, but there's also, I kid you not, a church organ) takes you for a haunting and very convincing trip through, well, the cosmos - aboard a big old rambling space-ship with humming machinery, creaky sliding doors, cloinky loading docks, and the occasional bang that would scare the crap outta me if I were an astronaut.
If you listen to this thing with headphones on, and you really should, the complexity and depth of Murcof's 'orchestration' will astound you. The album lacks the melodiousness of Remembranza, but it's never just noise without music - however weird the sounds get, they remain tonal in nature. And the production of this disc takes ambient to an new level of sophistication.
But the snag is, once you've heard it, you're pretty much done with it. After giving the disc its second spin, I had to conclude that one would have been enough. I don't expect to play it again. Ever. The sounds on offer may be musical in essence, but the music lacks substance, and with the productional surprises gone, there's nothing left to keep me interested. Making the trip again would make me feel like a commuter rather than a traveler. Not a feeling worth having, is it?
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
judge by the high points, Feb 18 2008
By Derek L. Kaplan "subtect" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Cosmos (Audio CD)
for me this album is 3 tracks -- the run from Cosmos I through Cometa to Cosmos II. this wouldn't seem a great success rate, but those three alone are well worth the price of admission. the most critical point that has to be made about this music is the importance of the means by which you listen to it. if you cram it into an MP3 and listen on earbuds, you'll likely be left wondering why you would ever go there again. he's playing with a level composition and quality of sound design that needs proper representation. headphones may be great, haven't tried it, but if you have access to a good sound system and an opportunity for sufficient volume -- this stuff is magic. If Cosmos II isn't a quasi-religious experience, try finding a better stereo to hear it on.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing electro-symphonic atmospheres, Oct 4 2007
By Christoph D. Coleman - Published on Amazon.com
This new release by Murcof is not only a stunning evolution is his work, but at this price is a STEAL!!!! Similar to work on K2 records, with way more atmosphere. Reminiscent of Twine, or a sparse, darker BOC. For appreciators of Fennez, Burial, Pan-American.