Contriva : Separated Chambers

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/contriva.jpg" alt=" " />Morr Music, the German label responsible for numerous progressive electronic acts, hits the mark again with special instrumental collabo project, Contriva.  The most recognizable member...
7.7 Morr
2006 

 Morr Music, the German label responsible for numerous progressive electronic acts, hits the mark again with special instrumental collabo project, Contriva.  The most recognizable member of the foursome is undoubtedly Morr artist Masha Qrella, who justifies more of the instrumental outcroppings by roping in the comet with her relatively down-to-earth balladeer style.   On Separated Chambers, their third album since 1997, Contriva tops their already tasty electrolounge libation with a creamy, folky froth, making for an ideal Morr concoction.

Contriva weaves their dark nylon synths with cottony guitars so well that there’s little need for a voice.  On “Centipede”, the eerie wails crawl for a couple minutes before giving way to a fluttery guitar and piano stamp.  While head-bobbing drums come in and out, a metallic breeze blows around the sound, creating a deep, multi-dimensional club harmony.  If you took a basement and put in dark lights, smooth carpet, and invited a bunch of ghosts over for wine, this is what it would sound like.

On the other hand, “Before” has more upbeat guitars layered over a calm beat and Qrella’s vocals make a rare appearance on the album.  The harmony’s tight, even in the sour-but-tasty notes, and illustrate what kind of excellent damage Contriva would make if they ever decided to make vocals more frequent occurance.  The only other time vocals show up in Separated Chambers is the last track, “I Can Wait”, which is a chilled, lounge trip highlighted by a jagged guitar, momentum-building drums, and nightbreeze backing vocals.  The rest of the album is mostly too complex for vocals but still nimbly props the weight.

There’s an edge and mystery to most of Separated Chambers that keeps this and a lot of Morr’s releases in a class by themselves.  The opening track, “Good To Know” is a curious like what a futuristic art museum would play over its ultra-modern sound system.  Acoustic guitar play a prominent role in the record, but often as landscape plucking while letting the electronics water them.  “Say Cheese” alternates acoustic and wired effects, creating a complex back-and-forth representative of the entire album.

Chalk another smoothly progressive digi-coustic gem up for the Morr label, as Contriva take folky lounge  to a new level and do it all without hardly uttering a word.  It’s amazing to think what more of a dimension full-time vocals would add to their music, but as it is, they make dark corners seem comfortable and give tired old acoustic sounds new life with multi-faceted jams and mixes that would light up any CAT scan.

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