The opening track ‘We musical souls, we bohemian boys’ is actually the worlds first english translated version of a gregarious tradtional sing-along Hungarian song. (performed by Andrish Hex vocal/harmonium) Followed shortly by a piece of unadulerated rock’n’roll mayhem with a deranged Russian character (by Ash) on voice-box just to keep the european vibe going. Track three ‘Violent Inertia’ sounds like Visage’s ‘fade to grey’ for the naughties and puts the album suddenly in an electronic context.
Track 4 ‘Four-door Carnivore’ is a political whispered rant over a jaunty danceable piece of technological sleekness with elements of African high-life. The song talks about everything from oppression in PNG to respiratory diseases in pedestrians, with a vocal and lyrical guest appearance by eco-feminist Hellouise Paienne.who also collaborates with Ash on an instrumental track.
Catharsis has two beautifully heartfelt and wholesome songs which add contrast and colour to the album: ‘First Memories’ a cover of a Jo Jo Smith song and ‘The Journey’ which has mesmerising oboe by James Watt.
Catharsis contains two new bonus tracks ‘don’t go ka-chink with Lawson’ which denounces Walmart style development, four-tier carparks and highways that displace animals, and an atmospheric instrumental whose aural landscape leaves the listener wanting to spin the disc again.
- 1:55We musical souls, we bohemian boys
- 3:20Everytime you came around [3.8MB]
- 1:58Violent Inertia [2.3MB]
- 5:18Four-door carnivore [6.5MB]
- 2:14Please, please, please let me get what I want
- 3:43Collabrador
- 8:52The journey
- 9:25World Party
- 4:15First memories
- 4:00Getting hardcore
- 3:43Please don’t go ka-chink with Lawson
- 6:15Groove to the light
- 5:24? Mystery ?
60:43Total playing time
$10
Singer, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Andrew Benthe has numerous albums and this is one of his best. A very beautiful recording of original folk, contemporary acoustic rock and Celtic-tinged ballad songs. The opening track ‘Ethereal’ is definitive folk-rock-pop. The albums mood and substance mainly stays within the boundaries of exploring the lighter and darker side of love and fidelity. It has sub themes of; both the need to see the similarities rather than the differences between yourself and significant other (in the personal and universal) and the theme of trusting your intuition in relationships and with yourself. Instrumentation includes: 12-string acoustic guitar, cello, bass, drums, keys, electric guitar, wooden flute, Uilleann pipes and mandolin. It is filled with sublime musicality and lush layered vocals. This album is a good starting point for discovering Andrew Benthe’s work.
- 3:45Ethereal
- 3:46Inside your skin [4.6MB]
- 2:53Closer
- 5:08Optimistic [6.0MB]
- 5:24Waterfall
- 5:24Miss Lust [7.0MB]
- 5:48Lucky
- 4:10Found you
- 6:07Come Around
- 8:53Beautiful Girl
- 7:30Love Never Dies
- 2:32Lotus
1:01:00Total playing time
Musically diverse this album is. There are sombre piano instrumentals, anthems about inequality, and long sinuey reflective compositions.“The world they see” – eerie experimental pop about the way animals in intensive agriculture must see and endure the world, features the sound of 20,000 Lismore cows! The track ‘I got mail’ is made out of sampling and manipulating mobile phone noise and static – very moody and astounding. A live track called ‘strengthen your will’ which sounds like someone triumphing over depression and feelings of loss, has some wry, wistful and emo-late cure meets Janes Addiction – style darkness which fuels the songs powerful intent. E.S.P Mail has a track called ‘Fear got the better’ which at times is reminiscent of Louis Tillet’s ‘children of the cave’ which probably belongs on Benthe’s ‘The Mirror’ album (all about the same relationship). A Billy Bragg inspired song called ‘Therefore change’ which states in the opening line: ‘you don’t have to come across like an asshole, just to make a point’ draws a connection between our attitudes towards animals and our attitudes to each other. This album is generally possessed of either wordy songs about rare song topics such as non-violence, ear-candy type instrumentals, or unrequited love ballads and light catchy ditties such as ‘Mariner’ and ‘Moving on’ which say a lot because they say so very little. The closing track ‘I AM Happy’ is full of spontaneous exuberance and amazing rare vintage synthesiser sounds And chaotic changes in genre. E.S.P mail is never boring!
- 2:50Fishbowl heads [3.0MB]
- 3:16Why Kill for food?
- 7:02The world they see [7.8MB]
- 6:31In Bloom
- 3:11Open
- 3:33I got mail
- 6:38The magic of feeling
- 6:39Better man
- 6:20Fear got the better
- 5:46Strengthen your will (fatale) [7.3MB]
- 5:43Therefore change
- 1:32Mariner
- 4:11Moving on
- 11:30I am happy
1:15:00Total playing time
Recorded in 1988, an exploratory tranquility permeates this Andrew Benthe debut. A soundtrack to a time of regeneration and transformation. Largely instrumental it contains two songs: ‘Be yourself now’ and ‘Controller’. The other works are sublime layered impressionistic compositions impacted to great effect by the work of Jon Hassel and Ken Nordine. The sound of multi-timbral synthesizers down to analog tape adds warmth and clarity. Suitable for deep relaxation. The opening track has two dueling but soothing spanish guitars and is the first incarnation of a track called ‘Love never dies’, of which another more produced and effulgent reprise version exists toward the end of the disc.
- 10:31Love never dies (acoustic) [13.2MB]
- 4:45Be yourself now
- 3:46Controller (love in freedom) [4.6MB]
- 2:57Field of tears
- 1:52Spirit of the mall
- 3:40Painted faced men
- 1:34Blue
- 8:14Nam yo ho ren gae kyo
- 3:17Horizons
- 1:34Loss
- 3:21Men with heads
- 2:37Temple rush
- 10:21Mind
- 5:02Love never dies (reprise)
- 2:34Vigilante
- 2:39Sadness
- 3:50Omegahedron [3.8 MB]
1:13:00Total playing time
