Gel-Sol - IZ

The latest review just in!

 

http://www.tokafi.com/newsitems/cd-feature-gel-sol-iz/

 

 

In the Winter, even format radio has its upsides. As soon as it gets hot outside, however, long-forgotten feel-good bodies are being dug out from their happy graves, cluttering the airwaves with a polyphonic hum about the Californian dream. Maybe Gel-Sol’s Andrew Reichel should be promoting his third album as an alternative to this perennial sonic necrophilia and start sending “IZ” to stations worldwide.

 

For even though “IZ” is an Ambient album in every corner of its soul, there is a warm heart beating underneath its glistening string textures, a relaxed pulse perfectly suited for daydreaming in the park with a cooling blanket over your face and a refreshing drink within immediate reach. Reichel’s weightless sounds may seem to be headed for space, for the stars and beyond, but really, they are aural representations of nature, of its well-balanced forms and inner harmony.

 

One could already discern this tendency on his previous efforts and on predecessor “Unifactor” especially, which came adorned with a cover depicting a countryside idyll. If Reichel appears to have taken the idea one step further on “IZ”, then maybe this is because the record manages to combine the depth of a concept album with the fluffy, playful aura of a multicolour pop song. No wonder, as it was consciously conceived as an all-ambient adventure for his niece Izabella.

 

With this in mind, we sincerely hope the young lady is capable of handling a hearty dose of darkness and melancholia. For after the first half of the album, lovingly draped in sepia tones and auburn imagery, has subsided, Reichel sets course for a more autumnal feeling, sailing with wings of whisper on yearning winds on “Secret Island”, loosing himself in the undulating reverb of billowing drones on “Raneboze” or following the patting echo of a meditation tape down the winding corridors of ten-minute mantra “Orca”.

 

There is, however, always a friendly light around the bend. On pieces like the calmly breathing static soundscapes “Mourning Work” or “Bubble in the Sky”, Reichel rests completely in the moment, allowing his gaze to roam freely, before, on the ecstatic, groove-driven hymn “As far as eye can see”, his hot air balloon rises up, up and away into the blue sky. And after the turbulences and occasionally claustrophobic episodes of the later stages of the album, he brings the journey to a consoling conclusion in the hazy fantasy of “Your Day in the Sun”.

 

It is the stylistic eclecticism on the one hand and the inclusion of gentle yet insistent melodic spikes that makes “IZ” such a varied and catchy affair, even though it fundamentally bases on the same luscious harmonic carpets of so many other Ambient releases. There are plenty of savoury details everywhere and it is these sudden moments of bliss that will make you fall in love with the album: The voice repeating “I love you” on “Your Day in the Sun” or the way the bass comes gliding into “Secret Island”, for example.

 

And should those format radio executives refuse to be charmed, you can still crank up the voluime and open your window to make the Summer just that little bit better in your immediate neighbourhood.

 

By Tobias Fischer

 

 

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Gel-Sol 'IZ' Psychonavigation / Upstairs

 

Since the 2006 release of Andrew Reichel's critically acclaimed

'Unifactor' LP on Canada's Upstairs Recordings label, he's obviously

been a busy chap, writing and recording its follow-up, 'IZ'.

 

The time taken he's taken to construct this new piece of work has been

well worth it - this album doesn't disappoint. The opening title track

sets the prevailing ambience perfectly, rising slowly like a golden

eagle drifting on the air currents. This blends seamlessly into the

second track 'Mourning Wok'; a combination of classic ambient and edgy

shoegazer.

 

'As Far as the Eye Can See' slides into view, and this is the first

track on the album to contain steady dub rhythms; the bassline and

shimmering ambience collide gently, keeping my head nodding steadily. As

the bassline subsides we sink into 'Disco Bay'. This is Eno-esque

territory; reminiscent of a favourite comfy sofa, the pads enveloping

you like warm cotton wool.

 

Absolutely sublime.

 

Crashing waves mark the entrance of 'Bubble in the Sky', coming on like

a stoned Harold Budd with the added benefit of lush orchestration, spun

out with heavy reverbs and analogue synths, FX burbling and bubbling

away throughout. 'Secret Island' wafts in with a wonderfully melancholic

chord structure that literally makes the hairs on the back of my neck

tingle. This is music from the chasms; a mellow bassline underpinning

subtle choral arrangements.

 

We dive deeper still on 'Raneboze', a mysterious track which sounds like

it's been recorded deep underground in a cavernous space, chords left to

hang in space. The penultimate track 'Orca' slithers around in the

darkness, gradually fading away to nothingness.

 

And then we're rising again, awakening to meet 'Your Day in the Sun'

where an optimistic chord structure brings us back into the light and

beyond.

 

There are a mountain of influences here, ranging from Spacemen 3 and the

Cocteau Twins, through to the very best ambient electronica albums that

you care to mention. Gel Sol has adapted and fine tuned these influences

to create an genuine aural trip that in my opinion is up there with some

of the best atmospheric chillout I've ever heard.

 

Check it out.

 

Bruce Bickerton (Alucidnation)

 

 

 

 

[quote na

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The review is taken from Ireland's national newspaper The Star

 

Gel-Sol IZ

Psychonavigation / Upstairs

 

2FM

star Keith Downey's Psychonavigation label joins Canadian imprint

Upstairs to release the masterful IZ. Imagine Tom Middleton doing a

psychedelic krautrock album and you're halfway there.

The Star Newspaper (The Scene)

 

 

Gel-Sol 'IZ' is available to buy now from [url=http://www.psychonavigation.com/iz.html]http://www.psychonavigation.com/iz.html

 

 

The new album from Gel-Sol 'IZ' can be ordered directly from our website

http://www.psychonavigation.com/iz.html

 

 

 

Another review just in this week.

 

Gel-Sol 'IZ' Psychonavigation / Upstairs

 

Since the 2006 release of Andrew Reichel's critically acclaimed

'Unifactor' LP on Canada's Upstairs Recordings label, he's obviously

been a busy chap, writing and recording its follow-up, 'IZ'.

 

The time taken he's taken to construct this new piece of work has been

well worth it - this album doesn't disappoint. The opening title track

sets the prevailing ambience perfectly, rising slowly like a golden

eagle drifting on the air currents. This blends seamlessly into the

second track 'Mourning Wok'; a combination of classic ambient and edgy

shoegazer.

 

'As Far as the Eye Can See' slides into view, and this is the first

track on the album to contain steady dub rhythms; the bassline and

shimmering ambience collide gently, keeping my head nodding steadily. As

the bassline subsides we sink into 'Disco Bay'. This is Eno-esque

territory; reminiscent of a favourite comfy sofa, the pads enveloping

you like warm cotton wool.

 

Absolutely sublime.

 

Crashing waves mark the entrance of 'Bubble in the Sky', coming on like

a stoned Harold Budd with the added benefit of lush orchestration, spun

out with heavy reverbs and analogue synths, FX burbling and bubbling

away throughout. 'Secret Island' wafts in with a wonderfully melancholic

chord structure that literally makes the hairs on the back of my neck

tingle. This is music from the chasms; a mellow bassline underpinning

subtle choral arrangements.

 

We dive deeper still on 'Raneboze', a mysterious track which sounds like

it's been recorded deep underground in a cavernous space, chords left to

hang in space. The penultimate track 'Orca' slithers around in the

darkness, gradually fading away to nothingness.

 

And then we're rising again, awakening to meet 'Your Day in the Sun'

where an optimistic chord structure brings us back into the light and

beyond.

 

There are a mountain of influences here, ranging from Spacemen 3 and the

Cocteau Twins, through to the very best ambient electronica albums that

you care to mention. Gel Sol has adapted and fine tuned these influences

to create an genuine aural trip that in my opinion is up there with some

of the best atmospheric chillout I've ever heard.

 

Check it out.

 

Bruce Bickerton (Alucidnation)

 

http://www.textura.org/reviews/gelsol.htm

 

Gel-Sol: IZ

Psychonavigation / Upstairs Recordings

 

Seattle-based

Andrew Reichel (aka Gel-Sol) created IZ as an “all-ambient adventureâ€

for his recently-born niece Izabella, so it doesn't greatly surprise

that the hour-long collection is often becalmed and meditative in

spirit, qualities enhanced by its uninterrupted flow. It's far from

aural pabulum, however, as Reichel extends the album's stylistic

template to include psychedelic krautrock episodes and sweeping

panoramas reminiscent of early-‘90s ambient electronica. Throughout the

journey, speaking voices and field samples (city traffic and sirens,

children's laughter, waves breaking, thunderstorms) rise to the surface

of Reichel's synth-heavy settings. IZ largely opts for slow and

tranquil unfurl, with the insistent bass pulse in “As Far As Eye Can

See†providing a rare instance of forward thrust. The ebb and flow in

“Mourning Wok†is both beatific and epic while “Iz†and “Bubble in the

Sky†present immersive shimmer and symphonic sweep respectively. “Your

Day in the Sun†exudes the peacefulness that sets in as a child drifts

off to sleep, heartened by the echo of the mother's “I love you,†but

the most beautiful moment arrives with “Secret Island†where placid

tones and angelic voices draw the listener into their paradisiacal

grip. Elsewhere, the billowing streams and whooshes in “Disko Bay†are

so free of grit and grime, they call to mind the equally “clean†tone

of ‘70s synthesizer albums, while the suitably grandiose “Orcaâ€

sometimes sounds like a veritable Tangerine Dream homage in its buildup

of bass synthesizer propulsion and galaxial tones.

 

July 2008

yeah i know gel-sol, he used to be on the orb mailing list back in the day. i downloaded one of his albums ages ago, it was pretty good....

Gel-Sol is a talented artist. I really like his stuff.

http://www.thesilentballet.com/dnn/Reviews...22/Default.aspx

Gel-Sol 'IZ' Psychonavigation

 

Score: 7/10

 

IZ begins with the calm inhalation of artificial intelligence.Gel-Sol lets the sunset simmer in the pan as a warm wash of synth caresses our ears and bundles us up for our journey. This is one of those albums that makes me believe that the machine playing the CD is actually a sentient being, and we are privy to its personal dreamscape. The machine, in this case, is pretty pleased about life! Think M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas, Lost Ghosts meets Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey (minus the menace), and you have a pretty good idea of what Gel-Sol's third album sounds like.

 

The opening track "IZ" bathes itself in fuzzy ocean waves and a warm pelt of synthetic chords. An oboe soars high aloft like an albatross on the solar wind. As we drift above the planet, we get a few echoey vocal acknowledgements from the host computer courteously admitting us to its subconscious. These voices are probably from obscure films, originally, but we've never seen them, so the illusion is maintained. Onward to "Mourning Wok"! We pass by a pair of alien species speaking in an indecipherable tongue on their back porch before we slide down a lugubrious river of lush, chordal melodies. IZ is heady and full of cinematic flourishes. If you've ever heard Front Line Assembly and wished they would just get off the speed and take some downers, then this album is for you.

 

Third track "As Far As Eye Can See" would be the hit single if they played ambient space drone on the radio. For this irresistible song, Gel-Sol ups the vibrancy by stealthily adding a muffled, bubbly bass beat along with a texture of flitting, atmospheric rhythms to get us moving at a delightful little trot. This is the only song on the record with any discernible "beat" but you're not going to be compelled to dance unless you are a stardust-eating, ballerina panda bear, so watch the animals dance instead. On top of this pleasant, motoric rhythm a guitar hooked up to a Tesla coil does a call-and-response with a large crowd of samurai on the main deck of our dream space station (one of my favourite moments). Gel-Sol's use of samples and overlapping melodies makes for some easily-achieved synaesthesia. He manipulates his sound layers quite fluidly, and wow, I am enjoying this record!

 

The overall sound is a polished, psychedelic ambience, much akin to a beat-less Boards of Canada or Boom Bip. But, where those bands go "glitch," Gel-Sol goes "shimmer," especially through the middle third of IZ. Our computer friend gets to a point where it's between sleep and waking, and it begins to breathe through its giant, metal bellows, and exhale through thousands of 16-bit vents. As if in response, a lady (Computer Gaia? Big Brother's sister?) gets on the dream P.A. with a fairly brain-washing tone and encourages the dreaming computer that its family loves it when it dreams. At first I was really turned off by this voice, as it felt like an interruption, but I eventually forgot she was talking at all. I drifted back into the flow of slow-motion respiration, letting the voice convince me that I was safe, until I was back inside the lunar bio-dome, arms folded over my knees as I stared out the window at Earth, wondering if I'd ever return. The album is an hour in length, but I could have listened to several hours more. Once the final resolving melody, the softly spoken words of love and wash of rain faded away, I pressed play again.

 

There are many drone and atmospheric records that are lovely, but few really sound as major key as IZ. Certainly, Stars of the Lid are a reference point. This music is so optimistic, it could be a soundtrack to the planet that the Flaming Lips are actually from! Tropical rainstorms, submarine pings, droids singing amidst the spray of the ocean, shape-shifting birds chasing swarms of nano-bots, a metropolis from Blade Runner being bombed in the distance, and an orchestra expressed as the sigh of one string wafting its way through a galaxy - some dudes just know how to use their keyboards. In another's hands, this sound bank would reek of cheese and saccharine novice. Gel-Sol has crafted a wonderful album of songs fit for you and your computer while you both sleep peacefully, side by side, leaving our wanton civilization behind.

 

-Nayt Keane

 

 

 

  Enter a new display name said:

Gel-Sol is a talented artist. I really like his stuff.