Released: 2007
Style: Ambient, Instrumental
"To say we've been eagerly waiting for this pair of albums would be a serious understatement...These are two artists that should really need no introduction - Harold Budd, the legendary pianist who defined a whole genre with his peerless piano-led soundscaping and Robin Guthrie, the guitarist who as part of the Cocteau Twins introduced the term ethereal into modern music. The two musicians have crossed paths before, first on the stunning Cocteau Twins album 'The Moon and the Melodies' and more recently on the soundtrack to 'Mysterious Skin' - but its here on these sessions (recorded in 2006) that they have really created something unique. The first thing you notice about the music here is just how evenly balanced Budd's piano is with Guthrie's guitar, nothing feels at odds at any time. This is the biggest difficulty with a collaboration, and especially a collaboration between two very well known musicians who both have a 'signature' sound. The unique qualities of each musician are left intact, but are gradually smudged into each other to create an overall a haze of blissful ambience that leaves us somewhere in-between classic Cocteaus and Eno-era Budd, a place which I'm sure you can imagine is well worth visiting. This album is one part of a two disc set (we're still wondering exactly why it wasn't released as a double pack) and is titled very appropriately 'Before the Day Breaks' - I say appropriately because I can't really think of a better collection of music to usher in the new dawn. The record almost seems out of time, out of sorts with the world in its absolute honesty - there is no dense pop sound on offer here, no over-compressed loud hellish noise assault, rather this is the delicately handled sound of two musicians who have proven what they needed to prove and are simply here to enjoy the ride. It feels like a privilege that they have let us join them. Gorgeous stuff - and a massive recommendation." - Boomkat
Tracklisting:
1 How Close Your Soul (7:36)
2 A Formless Path (4:23)
3 A Minute, A Day, No More (5:21)
4 She Is My Weakness (3:41)
5 Outside, Silence (4:25)
6 Hidden Message (4:48)
7 I Returned Her Glance (3:43)
8 My Monochrome Vision (4:44)
9 Turn On The Moon (4:21)
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