Info
The second of Wolfgang Voigt's Gas albums, Zauberberg employs an assortment of beautiful strings shimmering above pools of eerie electronic ambience. Whereas the succeeding Gas albums tend to present slightly different moods for each song, Zauberberg sticks to one main tone throughout its duration. The homogeneous nature of the album accentuates its mood, pulling the listener deeper and deeper into its foreboding world of synthesized melancholy. Some songs on the album diverge slightly, adding other elements such as a distant, thumping bassline and a constant rain shower of crackling noises that make the CD version of this album sound like a dusty vinyl record. But for the most part, Voigt sticks to a consistent approach from song to song. The Brian Eno-like ambience lingering in the background of every song sets a haunting foundation, reflected analogously with the red-tinted forest depicted on the album's cover. This analogy towards surreal darkness is no joke; these songs could well function as the soundtrack to a haunted house. In terms of melody, Voigt constructs these songs with loops, creating hints of melody as certain string sounds appear every 20 seconds or so. These hints of melody are really the only salient element in these songs beside the dense ambience brooding at the foundation of these songs. When describing the components of Zauberberg with words, the music may seem homogeneous and lackluster, yet these often negative characteristics end up being positive qualities on this album. Similar to Eno's Music for Airports, Voigt has mastered the fine line between boredom and beauty. On the surface, nothing seems to happen, but the astute listener will notice the rich textures and powerful moods, which tend to be consistent from one song to the next. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
Just added
