Once again Monolake genius Robert Henke delivers a masterpiece of tranquility: a 60 minute reworking of “Indigo”, the closing track of Monolake’s Cinemascope album (2001).
The original track is 8 1/2 minutes of layered sound and relaxing dripping water.
Swedish “installation artist” Fredrik Wretman contacted Robert Henke to use this track for a new installation called “Tap Tim“: ‘one single calm and focused work of art in a huge gallery space’.
But as expected this simple approach was not the route Henke would prefer to take. The original track simply was too short to just put on repeat.
So Robert isolated the original parts of Indigo, reworked them to three different versions on different CD’s, which then were played through a multichannel system to create an endless version with infinite differentiations. Indeed: the Brian Eno installation music approach!
This album is a ‘stereo mixdown of the initial state of the installation if all three CD’s would be started at the same time”.
(Note:I wonder why ambient installation music creators don’t release the multichannel versions? Shouldn’t be too difficult, since most people have access to full surround home cinema systems nowadays!
So PLEASE release multichannel surround versions next to the stereo CD versions!! Especially of CD’s like this particular one!!)
The result is a 60 minutes version of refreshingly calm music, (unsurprisingly) closely resembling the best installation music of Brian Eno.
It’s as if you decide to rest in a comfortingly warm and humid cave, somewhere far removed from anything hectic.
Even without the installation it was created for, this music simply works well: relaxing and enhancing your own living room environment..
Robert Henke lives up to his expectations in creating a beautiful successor to Signal to Noise and Layering Buddha.
Monolake devotees should be warned though: there’s no trace of rhythm on this record other than the irregular drops of water.
You’ll have to do with your heartbeat gradually slowing down.
A 30 minute excerpt from the infinitely long soundtrack can be found on the Robert Henke website.
Thank you for the review, however I don’t think it does this piece justice, but then neither can I…
To me, its not merely relaxing; somehow Mr. Henke discovered the Essential Balancing Tension along with the deep enveloping calm.
The effect to my ears is mesmerizing. This is very special and a blessing to experience. I knew it instantly…
All I really have to say though, is:
How did you figure it all out, Mr. Henke, how did you just know, and know how?