Introduction
Artist: Anima
Title / Release Page: Convalescence
Release Date: 2015 Jul 25
Genre: Chillout / Dubstep
License: CC BY-NC-SA
Media: MP3 / FLAC / OGG
Pricing: Free / Name Your Price
Label: Enough Records / BandCamp
Rating: ★★★★★★★★
I’ve taken to randomly cruising some of the aggregator sites lately, grabbing a bunch of releases and just streaming them while driving to / from work. Anima: Convalescence is one of the more interesting discoveries I’ve made over the past couple of weeks.
Anima: Convalescence
I am somewhat dubious of calling this a dubstep release. The chillout / chillstep description is far more to the way that I hear this release. All of the electronic elements, ethnic rhythms, and melodic lines make for an immersive experience that is relaxing and rejuvenating. Even with the slow “wah wah” type elements in the bass lines, this release just isn’t the type of annoying sound that one gets with typical dubstep.
This is a work that sets a goal to provide the listener with something to rejuvenate the spirit and the mind. And it largely succeeds by creating a world in which to explore beauties. Relax and let the rain wash over you, wander through fields of long flowing grass, and traverse the hillsides just to find out what is at the top.
The idea of the pastoral in music has been around for centuries. However, in recent times the popular versions of the pastoral have been relegated to cheap new-age music from people like Zamfir or some other dreary, middle of the road musical hack. But not this release, Anima has taken on the concept of the pastoral and made it fresh with a current, contemporary style, smart compositions, and integrating worldly elements without resorting to cheap cliche phrases and concepts. All of this is topped off with gorgeous lavish production and engineering.
This is one of those reviews where I feel that it is better to keep a balance to the words I put on the page to match the balance the compositions on the recording. This is one of those works that is well thought out and executed, to such a degree that the very finely-honed balance could have been disturbed were any of the elements out of place, or if the compositions had been a little too indulgent. But this release got ever last little bit of it correct.
Conclusion
How to wrap up a review of such a well-balanced, finely recorded and produced release? Well, I think the simplest thing to say is: listen to this music. Let it work it’s magic on you. You will not be disappointed, and you are likely to feel and be a better person for allowing yourself to experience it.