February 27, 2007 @ 21:46

esc.rec. said,

Review by Mark 1970’s Blog (blogger.xs4all.nl/medfreak):
A debut album from Hidde van Schie (I say stick to that artist name!) featuring some very nice relaxing tracks. All selections are written and performed by Hidde. My sister Silvia also worked on the album she did some whistling on ‘First Time’ and played the flute on ‘Misty Misty Misty’. All pieces where recorded at home between January and November of 2004.
The ‘cd’ features solely instrumental pieces, which are experiments with different sound-combinations and various instruments, guitar, flute etc. The music is sort of hard to fit into one category, which I like tremendously. The compositions are mainly experimental; the mixing is quite good which makes the instruments sound like that on many a professional album. It reminds me of nature, the music has a very organic feel to it.

Track 1. The Quiet Ride home: The title-track of this album. Mainly featuring guitars, a very relaxing piece of music, that one would actually play on a quiet ride home from work.

Track 2. The Unlikely Event: A track with piano and percussion. Music that ebbs and flows, for me this piece has sort of a dark undercurrent. Especially when the guitar is introduced. It is a piece of music that is a bit disturbing for me. I imagine myself lost in a dark pine forest with the dark wet bark of the tree-trunks all around, mist on the ground and something’s lurking there…

Track 3. Mysty Mysty Mysty: Metallic tingling sounds at the start. Guitar is introduced. Some percussion. The flute reminds me of birds. Imagine a lake that is surrounded by trees, it’s dawn. The first rays of light are trickling through the branches and touch the mirror like black surface of the water only barely being able to penetrate a thin layer of steam that floats right above it. Birds are stirring, awakening. Still there’s no wind. You stand on a pier far removed from the shore, wind is stirring some wind chimes that some old Chinese geezer left there. Just go have a look at Hidde’s art you’ll know what I am talking about.

Track 4. Welcome to the Border: Similar organic nature sounds, lot of birdlike noises. Sine wave organ like melody flowing in the background with guitar-like riffs. Than a sound reminding me of a mosquito and a siren at the same time: saw tooth wave.

Track 5. First Time: Bird like noises and a rasping percussion sound. Guitar starts playing. This piece of music is more song-like and rhythmic. My sister’s whistling. Distorted guitars going apeshit in the background. Sometimes reminiscent of whales. A recorder-flute going mad. Quite a haunting piece of music.

Track 6. Pacific (I piss the blue water green): Also a more melodic piece of music. Guitarlike noises combined with sine wave-flutelike noises. More light-hearted.

I quite like this album. I can’t say I can make an objective judgement because it’s being made by my sister’s boyfriend, but I do urge all people to go check it out and look at Hidde’s art (especially his latest oil paintings - 2004/2005). Both art forms do combine very well. Suggestion to Hidde & Silvia: try to introduce some vocals on your next tracks and see how that works out!

February 27, 2007 @ 21:55

esc.rec. said,

Review in Vital Weekly (www.vitalweekly.net):
Originally Hidde van Schie is a visual artist, but these six tracks are the first result of himself as a musician. The guitar plays the leading part in these tracks, save for some computer processing and on ‘First Time’ there are bell-like sounds. But it’s mostly the guitar that tinkles away in these recordings. It’s hard to avoid, but post-rock is the thing that springs to mind here, but it’s a very raw form of post-rock. The recording quality is not all to great, but it adds to the somewhat raw and intimate atmosphere. Like the titles suggest, this is a melancholical release. Water, mist and quiet train rides are the subject of this release. As a first attempt it’s nice but not great. But it surely can grow from here.
(FdW)

February 27, 2007 @ 21:56

esc.rec. said,

Review by Zebralog (www.zebralog.nl):
Kunstenaar Hidde van Schie heeft een album gemaakt. En zoals het in kunstenaarskringen niet ongebruikelijk is, zijn het experimentele nummers, al dan niet met een herkenbaar ritme (het zou ook nog onder postrock kunnen vallen). Hoe je deze verzameling van geluiden ook wilt noemen, ik vind het aangenaam om naar te luisteren. En dat is toch wat telt. Lungs full of mist is in zijn geheel (6 nummers) gratis te downloaden van de site van Van Schie. Je zou je kunnen afvragen… waar doet ie het van?