Label: Buddhist on Fire
Catalog No: BOF-016
The soft waves of the open sea glide onto the beach, casting a molecular drone ashore. This serves as the foundation for an orchestrated ceremony saturated with dark looping textures and elaborate echoes. Overlooking a cliff that stares into the ocean, the sounds collide with nature in a repetitive cycle and showcases the beauty and suffering of this existence.
Palancar is the man behind the Ambient netlabel Earth Mantra which has tantalized our ears with sweet sounds from other worlds. On this release Palancar puts our feet on the ground and drowns us in a harsh reality. These seven sweeping movements circle around the concept of pain and what it can teach us. The extreme suffering of our beings is something we never want to confront; we would much rather not think about it and be free from all pain. One thing we must learn is that we need to understand suffering before we can be free from it.
The solemn nature of these tracks does not inflict a pain many of us are used to. The mournful tones penetrate your skin and gives your soul something to weep about. You can feel your heart slowly melting away and the sounds murmur past you, dragging time into an infinity that’s constantly repeating itself. There is a desolate feeling, as if everything has been forsaken, leaving you to sink to the bottom of the sea. This album gives us understanding of the pain our souls feel every day. We must learn to care for them, heal their spiritual wounds so they can help guide us to wherever it is we are supposed to go.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Standout Track: Bitter Potion
http://www.archive.org/details/bof016
http://buddhistonfire.com/2012/01/16-palancar—the-tender-hand-of-the-unseen/
