Title: Translucida
Artist: Qntal
Genre: Medieval / Electronic
Release Date: 29th February 2008
Label: Drakkar
Album Review
Here it is the new QNTAL album which goes by the melodious name of ‘Translucida’. The new album marks in a way the return to old virtues. Some kind of recollection if you want as it gives more priority to the electronic. Of course the medieval elements haven’t been missed.
Already the first song ‘Sleeping’ uses crystal clear extended synth layers paired with organic instruments that encourage to dream but the song is clearly dominated by Syrah’s trained voice. ‘Departir’ is very similar. It’s calm and very dreamy but the electronics are strongly accentuated in the song with the very present beats and processed violin parts and those who are capable of the French language will be very pleased as well. The next two ones ‘Slahte Ville’ and the title track ‘Translucida’ are also very stately representatives. The first one uses rhythmic percussions for the first time and is sung in an ancient German while the latter one works with subtle electronic beats and a loot of alienated instrumental parts. But don’t you worry QNTAL also have some tracks for the dance-crazy people in stock i.e. ‘Glacies’ which comes along with a very fast-paced beat and which will directly run down into your legs I guess. Also ‘Sumer’ or ‘Ode to the Summer’ spreads an uplifting mood and will surely fill dance floors.
Another one worth to mention is the spherical ‘Worlds of Light’ which provides a seemingly endless room for the beautiful vocals. But the - in my opinion - best thing has been kept for the last track ‘Passacaglia’ a piece of work of Antonio Vivaldi. An extremely dense atmosphere is captivating. Wide rooms open their doors before your mind’s eye and elegiac sounds unfold but always with Syrah’s vocals as the central element.
As I don’t own any of the previous QNTAL release I can’t judge how much development took place between this one and the last release ‘Silver Swan’. ‘Translucida’ is for long periods very calm and puts more value into atmospheres. The faster songs respectively the rhythmic arrangements are a bit too simple for my taste if you see what synthesizers are capable of today. A bit more courage for experimentation clearly lacks here.
Tracklist
01. Sleeping - 4:46
02. Departir - 5:33
03. Slahte Ville - 5:44
04. Translucida - 6:27
05. La Froidor - 5:27
06. Glacies - 3:43
07. Worlds of Light - 5:01
08. Obscure - 4:43
09. Sumer - 4:14
10. Amorous Desir - 4:24
11. Ludus - 4:38
12. Passacaglia - 4:16
Members
Syrah - Vocals
Michael Popp - Vocals, Fidel, Saz, Shalmei, Ud, Tar
Fil - Keyboards, Vocals, Guitars, Programming
Website
http://www.qntal.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/qntal
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 7
Extras: -
Total: 7
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