Favoriete Albums 2010

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The only piece of information we have concerning Marta Mist is that it is a Leeds based group making drone music. After listening to Distance/Skeletal/Union, we know that Marta Mist is a Leeds based group producing some of the most refreshing drone influenced music that has surfaced in quite some time.

The mysterious act's twenty three minute, one track, three movement debut plays like a perpetual unveiling of layers, with a sense of continuity that draws the listener deeper into the experience with each passing second. What distinguishes this album from the average drone album is the constant addition of layers and notes to the mix; it is in no way a case of one semi-static drone being mixed with other drones. One can hear notes being played, and instruments playing them, all inside that one reverb-heavy drone, analogous to a progression of music that keeps appearing from under a heavy layer of mist.

Imagine a group of musicians sitting, with instruments in hand, staring through the heavy fog at their sheet music, attempting to play through blurred vision. As the track evolves, one gets the feeling that these musicians are becoming more able to connect to each other. Letting their instruments speak for them, they start contributing their parts, and melodies start appearing. A sense of intimacy is created between band and listener as the latter gets a glimpse of how each part began and where it came from, witnessing the maturity and growth of the different sounds. When all elements have taken shape, a wave of beautiful strings comes to pierce the fog and make way for the entry of light, producing the final movement, “Union”.

Further elaboration on the 23 minute piece of music would be unnecessary. However, it must be noted that Marta Mist has given us something different, a new take on both ambient/drone and contemporary classical music. Most people who cross paths with this album will notice the uniqueness of its sounds. This is a huge plus for a debut, especially in the already teeming ambient music scene. These are the first steps of an evolution of an existing sound, Post-Stars of the Lid, perhaps?