Sound Of Ceres - The Twin / The Twin: Demonstration Tape

Haben wir da einen neuen Trend aufgespürt? Nachdem gestern Embrace mit der orchestralen Version ihres aktuellen Albums „Love Is A Basic Need“ vorgestellt wurden (und es damit Erasure und ihrem im März veröffentlichten "World Beyond" nachmachten), kommen wir heute zu Sound Of Ceres, die ihre Platte „The Twin“ noch einmal in einer anderen, der ursprünglichen Version präsentieren möchten. Aber beginnen wir am Anfang:

Sound Of Ceres bestehen im Kern aus Karen und Ryan Hover, die eigentlich den Kern von Candy Claws bilden. Dem Dreampop mit Vintage-Touch bleiben die beiden auch bei diesem musikalischen Projekt treu, nur ihr Bandmitglied Kay Bertholf darf nicht mitspielen, also nur manchmal. Genau so wie Musiker von The Apples in Stereo und The Drums.

2016 veröffentlichten sie mit „Nostalgia For Infinity“ ihr erstes Album, dem Ende letzten Jahres „The Twin“ - man stelle sich Beach House trifft auf Vangelis trifft auf Julee Cruise trifft auf Broadcast vor - folgte. 

Und bei diesem Albumtitel ist die Entscheidung, mit etwas zeitlicher Verzögerung den Zwilling folgen zu lassen, verständlich. Vor allem, wenn man dies konsequent handhabt und „The Twin: Demonstration Tape“ nur als Kassette (limitiert auf 300 Stück) veröffentlicht und wie folgt mit der Entstehungsgeschichte zu begründen weiß: 

Ryan, Karen, and Jacob arrived at the Reykjavik studio of producer Alex Somers (Sigur Rós, Julianna Barwick) with the original mixes of what seemed like more-or-less finished songs. And then they went through a different door. Guitars and harpsichords gave way to more analog synthesizers and melodic percussion. As the music's dynamic range grew wider, timbres chilled, and more layers of vocals were woven into the background, a new twin of The Twin emerged. 

The Twin is a very relaxing album. It has a lo-fi, spacey vibe to it that really puts you at ease. You even get tracks like 'Solar Mirror 9' that are so soothing, they might be a bit too soothing (you may start to nod off if you're not careful). Opening track 'Gemini Scenic' really does a great job about setting the album up for what it is. The track opens with peaceful synths, soon leading into vocals and an accompanying drum beat. As the song progresses, it builds with bouts of energy, but at no point does that energy ever get the best of them. It stays reserved for the most part, which is something to be appreciated.
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An issue with The Twin is that this album doesn't really become much outside of a lay-back and chill type of record. It's something you have to take in as a whole, as the individual tracks don't do it any justice. There are some great moments, like the Björk influence in 'Outer Century' and the brooding sounds of 'Io Scenic A/B,' yet even those tracks don't do much with those songs to develop ideas. They go on with a sound, carry it on until the end, and immediately move onto something only slightly different.
(Immortal Reviews)

On The Twin, they more freely incorporate lo-fi electronics in the form of stripped-down beats that serve as the backbone to most songs. Opener “Gemini Scenic” features a repetitive kick drum and introduces us to the ethereal female vocals present throughout the album. “The Trance” and “Io Scenic A/B” feature choppy electronic beats and swirling layers of synth, giving them a more upbeat feel. Dream pop is a perfect descriptor for Sound of Ceres‘ music; the instruments blur together into an atmospheric soup, but the songs still have enough structure to be immediately accessible.
(WUOG)