To celebrate the Paddington Festival
The album is on special offer in the UK only
during July and August 2010
UK ordering - £10.00 - (inclusive shipping)
Germany & UK ordering - 15 Euro (inclusive shipping)
Europe ordering - 17 Euro (inclusive shipping)
Rest of world ordering - 19 Euro (inclusive shipping)
For centuries, we humans have been gradually destroying the very balance of Life on earth as if this was our right. As a result, today our needs exceed Nature's reserves. These needs as we call them are nothing we can be proud of when 20% of the world's population consume 80% of its resources and 5000 people a day die from lack of clean water. It also must be obvious that no needs or concepts of "life style" justify the vicious slaughter of animals for skin/fur and other idiotic products relished by our society! They are tortured in the name of vanity, ignorance, as we create a nonsense market that others less fortunate are tempted to exploit. The fact is that the society we have built based on such superficial concepts, blind to the consequences, deserves the fate our scientists predict.
It is hard to admit but true, that today the world would be a far better place without us. And if that is not convincing enough because we have lost track of our responsibilities, let's remember we are by many of our actions biting off the hand that feeds us. Our survival on earth depends on us respecting its balance; every thing is linked, water, air, light, soil, trees, plants, animals and people and sharing is every thing. We can take that road, we may still have some choices, on these depend our fate and the possibility to bring this extraordinary World Into Remission.
"I have never heard of this project and it isn’t the kind of style that I normally dig into. Never the less I must admit that I was blown away by this debut album from German/French project Thamnos. The album titled “WIR” is the first album released on the Sound Claim and quite unusual release strategy by today’s standards: Only released on CD-format and no download options available. On the other side this is most certainly an album worth having on your shelf at home. Expressively the compositions reminds me of Dead Can Dance, one thing is the beautiful female vocals of French vocalist Annemarie Borg, another thing is the clear fingerprints of ancient sounds such as neo-folk and world music. But in comparison to the Dead Can Dance, there is more weight put on the electronic expressions with elements of first of all Ambient music, but also chilling trip hop. “Dead can Dance” meets “Enigma” is not too far from the descriptive reality. A remarkable presence in the music is the acoustic sounds of first of all piano layers beautifully woven into nocturnal soundscapes – sometimes non-rhythmic, other times trippy hand percussion and electronic rhythm textures. As said I was pretty much blown away by this album, that certainly delivers in atmosphere and melancholic beauty. People longing for the sound of Dead Can Dance should look no further, and everyone else should also pay attention. (NM - Vital Weekly)"
"Thamnos is a music project of musician/producer/composer Tomas Weiss and UK-based singer-songwriter Annemarie Borg, started in 2007. "W I R" (World In Remission) is another recent album that expresses its worries about the destroyed balance of life on earth, painting the atmosphere of today, through the many styles and means of today, not having any boundaries of form or language. Touching real life issues and also the spiritual aspect of music, the outcome is dense, tribal- infused ambient music accompanied by the soaring female vocals (in English, Russian and French) of Annemarie Borg. The contribution of the latter made me slightly think of Dead can Dance, as the duo melts elements of world fusion and experimental electronica in a peculiar, unfashioned manner. Especially the second half of the very well produced and mastered CD sounds deep, atmospheric and inspired. The sixth piece "Ajin" is highlight, a beautiful introspective outing with sophisticated piano and imaginary language inspired by Latin, while the great rhythms and gentle flute makes "Voices" and "Manjel Kani" other key tracks. All in all, this is deep, aural and highly spiritual music with a mission which demands focussed listening." (Bert Strolenberg - Sonic Immersion)
Tomas Weiss et Annemarie Borg sont les responsables du premier album du projet méditatif Thamnos, "W I R", pour "World In Remission" : titre donné à l’album d’après la conclusion d’un exposé optant pour le réalisme et faisant le menu de l’intérieur du digipack.
Le groupe y condamne une approche du monde anthropocentrique et un mode de développement non contrôlé, générateur de discriminations intra-peuples et de déséquilibres environnementaux croissants, lesquels deviennent une menace pour l’espèce humaine elle-même. Avidité consumériste, démographie galopante, deux sources essentielles au problème du vivre ensemble. "Le monde serait sans doute meilleur sans les hommes", dit Thamnos. Possible, mais peut-on s’exclure ainsi du monde ? Le groupe en appelle alors au partage, seule voie possible pour la rémission du monde. C’est dans ce constat, plein d’interrogations et à consonance pessimiste (notre nature est-elle au partage ?) que s’inscrivent ces contenus musicaux hypnotiques et pénétrants. Eux sont la bande-son illustrant la prise de conscience.
Sombre trip hop mâtiné d’un feeling rituel, "Masques" et sa lenteur engendre un environnement aquatique au cœur duquel Annemarie chante "l’heure sombre". Tout l’album baigne d’ailleurs dans un climat d’attente, une phraséologie intimiste déclinée sur tempo lent (esthétique à l’orientale des percussions) mais qui n’exclut pas les tonalités acerbes (le chant au murmure tantôt âpre, tantôt sensuel de "Mind The Gaps"). Thamnos garde une menace en réserve mais ne retient jamais l’option de la déflagration ou du cri, lui préférant la suggestion funèbre d’un piano funambule et minimal ("Ajin"), ou un verbe égrené dans le souffle ("Manjel Kani"). Thamnos reste dans quelque chose de rentré, option réflexive et introspection. Cette musique n’est pas qu’un parcours sonore ou le résultat du travail des machines, elle illustre une quête : celle de se retrouver enfin "dans" le monde, à un moment où on sent que ça vrille, où il semble nous échapper, et où il ne reste bien que l’amour pour nous sortir de la solitude et du drame collectif ("À Fleur d’Âme", ou l’inconnu devient sauveur)… à condition, bien sûr, que s’éveille cet amour (le final"Awakening").w.
Ainsi, au-delà d’un background classique transparaissant de ces armatures synthétiques et de ces voix en prise à la tourmente, Thamnos parvient à un ensemble cohérent, évocateur et relativement esthétique ; un clair obscur fondé sur les ambiances et une sensation de coulé, davantage que sur une recherche harmonique qui foisonnerait. La forme, sinueuse, offre alors support à une poésie de l’angoisse.
Emmanuël Hennequin http://www.obskure.com/fr/
Digital magazine for Dark Musics
