Brittle Stars/Yann Novak -Long Distance Vol.3 – 8CM CDR – Dragon’s Eye

The ever prolific Yann Novak here teams up with UK wunderkind, Brittle Stars [aka Kev Rolf] the third in Dragon’s Eye’s Long Distance series on 8cm formats, that pairs up artists who have never before met or worked together, igniting interesting and engaging projects, and fuelling a scene impoverished of fresh approaches. The single, long form track, Melody to Maelstrom emerges from a series of collaborations undertaken by the duo on Novak’s recent visit to Manchester, UK . This is very much a multi-layered excursion utilising a serialist melody formed around a rich, resonant keyboard theme, that gradually spirals into a grainy, abstracted textural wave. The title says it all really, and what occurs over the course of this 21 minute fusion, is a gradual erosion of melody, like a piece of shining steel, that gradually corrodes, accumulating grit and oxidation, bearing the scars of time as it slowly breaks down. The central theme, remains throughout, a haunting presence towards the end, that hints at the processes of the life cycle, from order to chaos, and back again, new life fuelled from decay. This is a fascinating, and obviously fruitful collaboration that more than hints at a future meeting of these two creative minds. Highly recommended.BGN