Goldmund: The Heart of High Places
Type

With The Heart of High Places, the latest in Type's ongoing series of 7-inch vinyl releases, Keith Kenniff (aka Helios) resurrects his Goldmund guise for an almost unbearably pretty sextet of piano pieces that perpetuates the spirit of Corduroy Road. Despite the inclusion of a few uptempo moments (the uplifting rise and fall of “Sumi-e,” for example), the mood is generally pensive, melancholy, and ruminative and the playing style delectably sparse and minimal. “Cavalcade” stirringly hints at its softly uttered melody, “Procreant” flows tenderly, and “Heavenfallen” gracefully weaves an insistent array of cascading triplets. The most striking setting of all, however, is the mournful opener “Unbraiding the Sun,” largely due to the faint traces of Stevie Wonder's “All In Love Is Fair” that strangely echo behind its chord progression.

November 2006