Electric Mud - Quiet Days On Earth (CD)

Two years after the ambitious "The Deconstruction Of Light," it's time for new soundscapes from Electric Mud. This time, brainchild Hagen Brettschneider (somewhat fittingly given all the lockdowns caused by the COVID virus) has taken on the quiet days on Earth. "Quiet Days On Earth" is the name of the fifth studio album and clocks in at almost 80 minutes. Quite a bit longer than its predecessor, which wasn't exactly short either.
In contrast to "The Deconstruction Of Light," this time they've dispensed with any bluesy elements and given much more emphasis to the keyboard instruments. As a result, the somewhat rocky character of the previous album gives way to much more atmosphere, denser sound forms, and sound collages that sometimes even take on the character of film scores. Oh yes, there are still no vocals on Electric Mud. As always, they're purely instrumental. The term post-progressive rock comes close to describing it all.
Now it's time to immerse yourself for 80 minutes in the soundscapes of Hagen Brettschneider, as well as the ever-increasingly in-demand Nico Walser (sound mix, keyboards, noises), who also recorded all the guitar parts this time. And what unfolds here, divided into 15 songs, is truly magnificent instrumental artistry. You have to enjoy "Quiet Days On Earth" as a complete work of art; picking out individual songs makes no sense. The opener, "Aurora Moon," makes that clear right away. Electric Mud invest much more in atmosphere, including many mystical sound forms, which nevertheless still include the melodic, sometimes elegiac guitar harmonies.
After a quiet piano opening, the opening track luxuriates in a rather somber background mood, brightens things up with "bright" synths, integrates a keyboard/glockenspiel duet, and concludes with thunder and lightning. An atmospheric opening that couldn't be more impressive.
The ups and downs of mood are palpable throughout the album. Often imbued with a melancholic sadness, for example, the violin/strings on "Silhouettes Floating Down A Rain-Slicked Street," Nico Walser follows up with beautiful guitar melodies that indulge the listener. Sometimes it's a music box ("Mer De Glace"), sometimes the synths practically waft out of the speakers until the door creaks at the end ("Durance"). Especially in the longer pieces (which this time don't even come close to the 10-minute mark), an incredible amount happens, but always within the framework of the spherical, at times spacey, underlying tone.
A fantastic instrumental album, with impressive and wonderful sound collages, as well as plenty of twists and turns within the established framework. Electric Mud have changed their sound somewhat in favor of keys and synths, but have gained even more intensity and atmosphere. An absolute musical highlight.
Rock Castle Franken

01 Aurora Moon
02 Silhouettes Floating Down A Rain-Slicked Street
03 Sea of ​​Glance
04 Quiet Days On Earth
05 Wading Through The Waters Of Time
06 The Echoes Of Acheron
07 The Loneliness Of The Somnambulist
08 Durance