Thread "In Sweet Sorrow" Sensory Expansion Media 1999 (36:53)
In Sweet Sorrow (6:30)
A Sweeter Sorrow (6:16)
In Sweet Sorrow (Artefact Mix) (7:48)
Sorrowgazer (4:43)
In Sweet Sorrow (CazzoDio Mix) (5:06)
Rain (6:30)
Thread is James Izzo. Vocals performed by Jarboe.
James Izzo is a solo electronic musician known for his music as Thread (see also "The Need for a Sky") and The Boy Without Hands (see also "The Automated Hygienist"), as well as for 'recreations' of tracks by Coil, Meat Beat Manifesto, Pan Sonic and Autechre (see also "Obsidian Monarch / Null Tributary" 7") ... all of this released within the last year! If you're not yet familiar with any of his work, you will be. "In Sweet Sorrow" is the new Thread single (due Nov. 30) for the upcoming album, "Abnormal Love", due in early 2000. The title track and several of the ensuing re-mixes feature the vocals of Jarboe, solo artist and former member of SWANS. If you're familiar with any of Jarboe's vocal work, you already know that her voice works amazingly well with any type of musical accompaniment. Here her vocals are of the breathy, angelic variety and are backed with varying electronic soundscapes. The title track is utterly beautiful ... drifting washes of ambiance, quiet synth melodies and gentle bits of percussion meld perfectly with Jarboe's doubled up vocals. The song slowly fades in a cloud of ambiance in the final few minutes and segues into the next track. "A Sweeter Sorrow" and "Sorrowgazer" are primarily instrumental, the former being more percussive with layers of beats, samples of Jarboe's 'oohs' and 'aahs', synth melodies and bass throbs and the latter being a mellow ambient piece, loosely based on the title track, comprised of synth pads and gentle piano playing. The Artefact and CazzoDio mixes both retain the vocals. The former has a pulsating electronic wave, more synth melodies and gentle beats that develop into an almost breakbeat nature for the final few minutes. The latter is similar, with the addition of a sporadic, crushing and distorted beat. "Rain" is another mellow ambient instrumental, this one based solely on a moody synth melody and drips of delayed sound tones. Very nice indeed ... the balance and continuity of the six tracks is perfect. This is simply Izzo's most intriguing work to date and I can only assume that the quality of "In Sweet Sorrow" is a foreshadowing of what's to come on "Abnormal Love". Mp3 sound clips are available at the Thread site ...
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Where did I get this cd? - from Bill at Sensory Expansion Media.