New album by Neil Campbell
Released on November 4th
Reviewed by Tommy Calderbank
‘Faldum’ is a short story by celebrated German writer Hermann Hesse, written in 1916.
It tells the intriguing fairy tale of a stranger who comes to the eponymous town and grants the wishes of its inhabitants. Of the two last people to have their wishes granted, one – a violinist – replies “I wish I could have a violin and play it in such a wonderful way that nothing in the whole world would be able to disturb me with its noise anymore.”
The other man wishes to be a mountain…
That’s the premise for the latest album by Liverpool’s immensely talented composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Neil Campbell. Hesse has a way of weaving magic in his mystical, elusive work. So does Neil. Reading the story and listening to the album, made me feel that the actual meaning of life might be in each of them, somewhere. Neil’s work has always been full of dreams and visions, philosophy and passion, and this exquisite musical suite is no exception.
The opener ‘Overture’ sets the tone with the urgent and joyous multi-tracked violin (130 tracks of audio running in this one). Sounds like the opening theme to a lost Peter Greenaway film, before the acoustic guitar comes to the fore and the many violins melt away, ushering in the cello. It’s a big, minimalist piece, consisting of lots of loops constructed into a sophisticated, dramatic, precision-tooled beast. A lovely start.
The next 6 tracks are named ‘Faldum 1-6’, and comprise the main body of the album.
These are all cut from the same cloth, being expansive, emotional pieces, with stunning playing by all throughout: Amy Chalmers’ violins glide effortlessly through the gears, as do Nicole Collarbone’s cellos (which bring a melancholic gravitas only that instrument can). The ensemble is rounded out by Jon Lawton on drum programming and electronics.
Each track is rich in mood, melody and texture, with each instrument finding its just so place, and creating something much greater than the sum of its parts. The climactic piece of the central suite – Faldum 6 – goes nuts is all I can say, like tripping at a carnival, the end of the ride announced by the sound of breaking glass. Then we go into the finale, where deep time is revealed.
‘The Mountain’ is a long ambient piece, built from acoustic guitars. Each string plays the same series of notes, but at a different rate, so all these strange melodic things happen. Violin textures hark back to the first track, providing a highly satisfying bookend. Neil uses a technique he terms ‘atomised guitar’, where the same notes are in different places in space. It’s a style he employed on previous album ‘The Great Escape’. This one is a darker affair, a bit more heavy-duty symphonic.
He’s playing with Time on this album. The different time signatures reflect what happens to your experience of time in this and the afterlife; so the central 6 tracks are in micro time, where the chord changes are in shorter time, the bookending ones in macro. Neil Campbell is from Gallifrey, basically. Aside from being a Time Lord, he may also be fittingly described as a quantum guitarist.
‘Faldum’ is a concept album, but by abandoning linear storytelling, the concept isn’t allowed to override the music. It’s a complex, textured and satisfying piece, with lush production by Neil himself and Jon Lawton. The engineering by Jon and Marty Snape is spot on, as is the album cover design by Dusty.
Overall, ‘Faldum’ is a wonderful addition to the Campbell discography, a journey through a fairy tale, a thrilling and enigmatic work which will transport you.
Sheer magic.
FALDUM is released on November 4th.
Order it here: https://neilcampbell.bandcamp.com/album/faldum