Giant Skeletons: Ghosts of Forsaken Ships
Giant Skeletons

If there are preliminary hints as to what Nico Walser's self-released Giant Skeletons collection Ghosts of Forsaken Ships might sound like, one could perhaps find them in the “Music of water, wood, & bones” note accompanying the release or perhaps the “Ballardian Deserts” title he gave one of its nine productions; the genres listed, specifically instrumental electronica, Kosmische Musik, neo-classical piano, and ambient, also provide possible entry-points into the Engelskirchen, Germany-based producer's sound world, as does the Jules Verne-like character of the late-nineteenth century cover illustration by Alphonse de Neuville.

Staccato knocks of woodpecker-like creatures resound amidst water burblings, monotone synth washes, cymbal shadings, and minimal piano accents in the opening title piece, a nearly nine-minute soundscape that singlehandedly evokes imaginary terrain emblematic of Walser's phantasmagoric sensibility. Arriving as it does after that impressive, at times unsettling intro, “Enter Labyrinth” disarms for being so pretty, melodic, and sweet. In this instance, piano, synthesizers, and shuddering strings work hand-in-hand to evoke a fantasy land of childhood innocence, as does “Diving Into a Snow Wave,” a similarly charming ode that, especially when it conjoins vibrant synth washes to electric guitar soloing, exemplifies an undeniably strong Mike Oldfield character (circa Hergest Ridge, that is).

The placid, piano-drenched serenity of “Mangrove Rain” and “The Weight of Light” brings a New Age dimension to the recording, whereas the release's second opus, “They Walk the Earth,” makes good on its title with an ominous bass throb that conjures the dreadful vision of a not-too-distant future when alien beings roam the earth intent on destroying all planetary life forms; certainly the unearthly bellowing noises that punctuate the sound painting do little to calm the nerves. If Walser created Ghosts of Forsaken Ships as some kind of audition tape for work as a cinematic sound designer, it shows he's got the requisite skills for the job. Regardless of his intentions, the recording is stimulating, unpredictable, and never less than interesting.

May 2018