REVIEWS of Sarah Peebles' music < back to Amber CD main review page || next review >
The Improvisor
The International Journal of Free Improvisation (Vol. XI,
1996)
Sarah Peebles:
Japan
Collaborations ("Suspended in Amber")
In the Japan Collaborations ("Suspended in Amber) "Blue Moon Spirit" begins setting its atmosphere with the statement of solo unamplified shô in the Shukoji Temple. A Strange environmental and almost mystical soiree of events develops in a very exploratory sound adventure. Eerily the events cross soundings of water dripping, dropping and falling, the night crickets ever steady as the water breaks into intensity before receding.
Another shô solos across what could easily be early morning or evening. This piece, "Revolving Life ("Tomoe"), is an improvisatory tableau for three musicians, calligrapher, temple and electroaccoustics. Exerpts from this total performance include "Autumn," "The- Big Sleep," and "Rebirth." Haunting, occasional clay flute intercedes the powerful loneliness of this luciously full sound environment, the calls of the wild's outdoors radiating its ambiance into the depths of universal wilderness soul.
"The Big Sleep" features cosmic singing electronic tone generators in bell-like slumbers across the night heavens. Beauty pervades immensity and light years. As the music goes out into space so it returns to earth again in natural forms. Hot cricketty sounds and birds. Long day. Eons hypnotic radio-electroambience between the power stations force abandonment of days to nights, to subliminal sleep. To awaken to eternity-clothed hypnosis
... This reviewer had to take a break halfway through side A before complete tranceout while attempting to drive a motor vehicle without running off the road. Tape should contain warnings concerning its powers to "induce drowsiness," and warnings not to operate machines under its influence. Otherwise, this is a wonderful tape.
— LS