REVIEWS

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Freeze Etch
Vessels

Force of Nature Productions

Posted: Monday, June 09, 2008
By: David E. Flick

While computers are a dime a dozen and people making electronic music on them may be going for an even cheaper rate, you have to have a lot of skill and karma in order to make an impression in this oversaturated field. Enter the world of ambient and atmospheric music and it can be even cheaper. There is no question that Vessels by Freeze Etch stands above the myriad of bedroom producers and demands to be given attention. It's obvious that the man behind Freeze Etch, Adam Duckworth pays attention to detail with sounds, song structure, and production. The album truly flows from track to track without ever treading the same ground twice, constantly introducing new sounds, textures, and thoughts. However, this is done in such a smooth way that the transitions are hypnotic. This album was four years in the making and you can tell as there is a quality here that shows an artist driven at making the end result the peak of his craft. Much ambient music fails in trying to give too much of the same thing. Mr. Duckworth has somehow broken the magic behind making something ambient without being stale, something that shows a true understanding of skill for ambient composers. While some artists purposely make music to be appealing, there are some artists who believe that the art is in experimenting, in the process. Freeze Etch is also up to speed in this area as well, for the record shows Duckworth's interest in sonic experimentalism, but also in the ability to turn that abstract sound into something appealing and most importantly of all, interesting and relevant. At times sounding like Coil, Gridlock at others, and sometimes even SeeFeel, but never trying to duplicate them, this is a good record. If you are going to buy one release from an indie label and you are in need some spacey music, then Vessels will not disappoint. The production is crystal clear and vibrant and the journey this record takes you on is one that is more than just a one time ride.