The Silence Collective is an ensemble of improvisational musicians that have toured and recorded extensively together. With poetry, music, ambient noise, the sounds of the world all around us, “RiverChants” feels like the universe tuning up before something magical happens. But what?
This kind of mysterious yet somehow perfectly ‘known’ ambitious performative art is, at its best, a sublime and totally relatable art form. And this is absolutely a genre at its best.’
The Silence Collective give us “RiverChants” with no operating instructions. We are to listen. To open our ears and our hearts and simply listen. When can we truly be allowed to do that? To allow ourselves even to simply listen, without doing something else, without multitasking, without pretending.
“RiverChants” must be properly listened to. In fact, as an experience it insists on total focus. Otherwise, the audience might miss the entire point of all these brilliant musicians and creative and scientific artists being together in such a way. How stunningly beautiful are the sounds of the world, the sounds of us all. And how worthy of our silence.
I love this. Waves of profundity and blissful messy improvisation wash over you as you uncurl further and further. I felt like an oyster being pried open. Gently and with my complete permission, knowing that I could close again at any moment.
It’s all very purposeful of course, an ode to water, which permeates every part of it. But the loop of voice, informing us soothingly while we listen to the unfolding adventure is utterly gorgeous.
The messages of vocal sounds, too, are a magical thread throughout. Like chants but deeper. A language recognised, an ancient ‘us.’
Each instrument is playful, mischievous, almost animal like, floating and pulling and pushing us through the landscape. Like nature, seemingly random but always absolute perfection when left to it’s on devises.
If you wish to be bewitched, in a good way, and yearn for music as an evolution, rather than a revolution, then this is just for you. It moved me and found me and a loved it.
Stream or download/purchase The Silence Collective’s “RiverChants” on Bandcamp
Names/Instruments:
Madhur Anand (Spoken Word/Poet), Jeff Bird (Composer), Matt Brubeck (Cello), Gary Diggins (Cornet, Waterfall Kalimba*), Christine Duncan (Voice), Daniel Fischlin (Guitar, Monotronics, Water ImaginÆrium**), Karen Houle (Spoken Word/Poet), Kathryn Ladano (Bass Clarinet), Lewis Melville (Electric Banjo, BetaBlock), Joe Sorbara (Percussion/Klepsydra**), Original Instruments built by *Nik Harron, and **Tony Duggan-Smith and Mark Kett.
Producer:
Jeff Bird
Socials:
Website: https://www.barcodefreemusic.com/projects/riverchants
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SilenceGuelphOntario
Twitter: @Silence_Guelph
Instagram: @SilenceGuelph
Bandcamp: https://barcodefreemusic.bandcamp.com/album/riverchants