Artist: Art of Empathy
Title: Posthuman Decadence
Genre: Darkwave / Neofolk
Release Date: 29th of November 2010
Label: afmusic
Album Review
ART OF EMPATHY (AOE) is masterminded by Jef Janssen, who whisper-sings into his dark, melancholy songs in Darkwave style underpinned by Neofolk influences, filled with soft guitars and atmospheric synths, eerie and foreboding atmospheres infused with dark romanticism, leaning onto themes of living in a world close to its apocalypse, nature or man on a return journey to nature (which is interchangeable with his own original nature), mapping man’s fall and salvation if we think about it in terms religious symbols. Janssen released ‘Evening Sessions’ and created a soundtrack for ‘Vigor Mortis’ film before the new AOE album entitled as ‘Posthuman Decadence’, a tale of a man struggling with his decline and re-establishment of his real and true values.
‘Posthuman Decadence’ indeed seems to ask what it is to be human, a part of humanity (such as it is); in fact the impression of the music on its own, even without knowing any background or listening to the lyrics, gives a strong sense of the fragility and pitfalls of human existence with its complexity. There is a sense of trying to understand, to be empathetic or compassionate. The compositions are without failure beautiful and striking. Whether you want to or not you will begin to reflect on the presented themes, I don’t think you can escape from this unaffected, either by its philosophical and emotive message or simply by its strong, captivating and richly atmospheric music, and that’s all accomplished not by a harsh assault of sound but by transporting the listener in a quite tender manner into soft yet often intense musical territories. I love the effects, sampled voices, birdsongs, dog barking, children crying all of which gives the album a cinematic tinge, even without them the music has a visual, not to mention even a poetic feel already.
The highlights were ‘Recreation’ where I loved the perfect symmetry of entwined guitar with piano accompanied by strings. The beautiful lament/litany and serenity of ‘Dying Cosily’, Janssen’s singing is accompanied by other vocals and together they bring an experience of belonging and comfort. The closing album titled song comes with its example of empty political rhetoric that we are surrounded by with its hollow and dire consequences followed by the fading sounds of machine gun battle. An aspect that broadens the question of what it is to be human to - “what is it to be one in a world like that”? In fact, the strength of the album is that it makes you question but does not preach its message and neither has it pretended to know all the answers.
The songs flow into one another with ease and each is definitely a part of the whole creating the feel of the album not as a listening experience as a sum of fragments but life-like journey in time which presents different aspects of the world and psyche alike. The manner of the vocal is extremely effective; this middle ground between singing and whispering is exactly what makes this music great and as a whole ‘Posthuman Decadence’ is quite an impressive and richly beautiful piece of art - for it is more than a mere entertainment.
Tracklist
01. The Design – 7.27
02. Good Morning Sick World – 5.20
03. Don’t Mind – 4.21
04. Recreation – 4.32
05. If This Is A Man – 3.01
06. Beautiful War – 5.51
07. Still Dancing – 3.47
08. Virile Earth – 7.39
09. The Source - 6.08
10. The Paradox of Essence - 6.13
11. Dying Cosily - 6.00
12. Posthuman Decandence – 3.52
Line-up
Jef Janssen
Websites
http://www.artofempathy.be/ / www.myspace.com/artofempathy
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10
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