NetMusic Life: Jaspertine - "The New Dahlia Returns to Shyness" (self released)

Friday 4 January 2013

Jaspertine - "The New Dahlia Returns to Shyness" (self released)

"Well, the short story... it's an instrumental album book-ended by two vocal tracks, with a greater emphasis on guitars and improvisation than my usual mess of processed sound. The longer story is where things get a little messy. Without getting too much into private matters, my anxiety and related concerns had been ignored and allowed to build up for such a length of time that it was necessary to start taking SSRIs, at least to bring things back down to normal, and see where we go from there. Two interesting things happened. One, I began to look back on where I'd been a few years ago, and realized the degree to which I'd flip-flopped my attitudes on math, science, philosophy, art and so on. Truly, I'd become the other half. The other thing that happened was that, within a week of going on medication, I'd started writing songs again. The songs on this record were inspired by my attempts to find a balance between the new me and the old me. The scientist and the artist. The brain and the heart. The Yin and the Yang. etc. The sound of the record, meanwhile, was influenced by a significant downgrade in my digital audio workstation, which meant I couldn't just pile on a hundred different sounds, nor a circus of effects. Every layer of sound had to be carefully considered. No room for waste. The result is something that I hope is pleasing to the ear. "(JV "Jave" Despres )

Non è stato un innamoramento a prima vista, ma alcuni inavvertibili particolari mi hanno spinto ad ascoltare più volte questo "The New Dahlia Returns to Shyness" di Jaspertine portandomi ad un coscienzioso apprezzamento. Sará la chitarra acustica, che su di me ha sempre un fascino riservato, o il calibrato equilibrio diviso con un'elettronica che rimane timidamente sull'uscio di casa. Atteggiamenti crepuscolari di fronte a deserti lievemente ventilati. La strada che porta al mare è sempre la benvenuta. Le prime insegne nel bel mezzo di un mezzogiorno afosamente assolato. Contorni delicatamente sfumati da reverse intestarditi. Bambole di porcellana salutano, alzando delicatamente la lunga gonna, da vetrine additate di giocattoli antichi. Chi ci ha portato qui? Il tempo visto da una distanza adeguata provoca un male minore. Inciampo su "Crash Together" e affondo in un vasto lago di surrealtá dove è amabile lasciarsi trasportare dagli interventi elettronici. «The result is something that I hope is pleasing to the ear.» Certamente Jaspertine, da parte mia nessun dubbio sul piacere avuto dall’ascolto di «The New Dahlia Returns to Shyness».