Mara's Torment: The Barrier of Skin

mart-bos.jpg (17k) Mara's Torment: The Barrier of Skin
(Rik MacClean - 1999)

I've always thought the sound of Mara's Torment straddled the line between darkness and lightness (see Across for Show or this month's overview of Dreams Like Mine); with The Barrier of Skin a new element is thrown in... that of even-more-minimalistic arrangements of already subtle presentations. 14 tracks (67.5 minutes) from Rik MacClean lightly watercolor your soundworld with extra-soft blends of gray, spattered occasionally with lightness, and even a bit of color or brightness here and there.

Softly pulsating electronics waft in crystalline waves in the Dreams of Insects, dappled with faint twinkles. Another magical state of musical hushedness is Maybe Not, rippling with audiowaves and quiet choral textures. Microscopic organ chords drone through The Barrier of Skin (7:00), ephemeral but undeniable.

Things pep up with the speedy sequencing and quietly pattering beats of 9; these sounds are overlain with a flutey synth-tweedling. Simply gorgeous, The Last Veil wafts on lovely micro-symphonic waves, power evident within its peacefulness. Muted bells and neo-Gothic moods wash over The Eyes of Fairuza Balk, another semi-moody gossamer creation.

An Unfortunate Error examines more-organic, less-musical textures... wetly pulsing alien noises are infused with buzzy electron fields, fading away into darkness. Another Interlude is a short and pretty tune, backed by minor percussion. The microbeats are more pronounced (though still quite soft) in Near Death Fetish, strung through with floating strands of synthstrings, while pluckier stringed sounds emit from Control (2:14).

The closers break pace, entering a less subdued (but perhaps more "fun") realm which would have disrupted the earlier serenity. A Particular Fear of Birds achieves a much-more-pumped state of being, launching into a whirling arabesque of pounding beats and keys. Another drum-driven track, Venus Ascending Stairs operates in an odd ethereal-electro-funk zone, something to which robots boogie down.

Have you ever been overwhelmed by subtlety? The Barrier of Skin has that effect; (for the most part) its strength lies in its restraint, presenting delicate yet powerful electronic movements. Click on over to the Mara's Torment website to learn more about this 8.7 collection of dark/light wonder (and a couple of beatier excursions to boot). 8-7.gif
This review posted November 27, 1999

AmbiEntrance © 1999-97 by David J Opdyke (except CD cover art, rights retained by original owners).