From Overseas & Zakè - "Demain, dès l'aube"
New ambient Pearls for the Dark Season
"Demain, dès l'aube" ("Tomorrow at Sunrise") is the name of the new album as a result of the collaboration between my ambient favourites Kévin Séry, aka From Overseas and Zach Frizzell, aka Zakè. The sound artists once again created some beautiful soundscapes—or should I say the base for some beautiful dreams?
If you open the door on a late summer morning, stepping onto the dewy grass, still barefoot and sleepy, you will encounter the first thoughts of your day alongside some humming insects and singing birds. They will slowly start to free themselves from the heaviness of sleep and seek their way out—just like the inhabitants of the surrounding trees.
From Overseas and Zakè visualised this image beautifully with their instruments on the first of the eight pieces on "Demain, dès l'aube" perfectly. It develops delicately and playfully and, after 4:55, gently transitions into the second piece, "Heather in Bloom".
The transition from summer to winter in eight songs
The heather is in full bloom, bathing the dunes in a diffuse, warm purple tone. Even though the mornings are a little cooler than just a few days ago, the sun is still powerful. It conjures the dew from the sharp stalks of grass, slowly transforming the warm light into glistening autumnal tones that continue to spread steadily.
After these first two songs, "Tomorrow At Dawn" sounds slightly more pensive. The sound of the sea in the background provides a clear component that combines everything—carried by the drone sounds and harmonies. "Day Will Be As The Night" continues this journey, telling of the stillness and change around this time of year. The nights and days converge and even are the same length for a day—just the blink of an eye in our lives. The dark elements are already more audible here, less obscured by the tranquillity. They both weigh the same at this point, balancing each other out precisely—just like this one day in September when the night is as long as the day, and there is as much light as there is brightness.
Those who know From Overseas's and Zakè's music also love their way of playing with contrasts and transitions. Nature and music form a unity. The deep drone sounds in the background provide a stable base for the tender ambient sounds. Together, they build a harmonious balance that makes everyday life fade away for a moment while listening.
The cycle from late summer to winter—the two exceptional talents have set it to music perfectly with this album. While the light elements are in the foreground up to this point, From Overseas and Zakè now begin to let, the more sustained and musing aspects of their music take over more and more. Just a tiny magical bit—like nature does in fall.
"I Will Walk Eyes Fixed On My Thoughts"
My favourite track so far is "I Will Walk Eyes Fixed On My Thoughts" (song five). If you have them handy, please listen to this track with your headphones. You will notice it unfolds an elusive vastness that is monumental and dramatic but at the same time light and weightless like clouds.
With "Across Mountains", you'll land gently before setting off again to immerse yourself in the next dream. "When The Land Whitens" tells of the first snow covering the land below—calming, soft and muted, gently embracing everything like a big blanket.
The finale, "A Bouquet of Green Holly", is another sound monument bringing together softness and heaviness, warmth and cold in harmony. The lacy, green leaves of the holly and the contrast with its red berries from the title of this piece perfectly describe the song's buoyancy and, at the same time, balance.
With his record label Past Inside the Present, Kévin has built an extensive catalogue of high-profile post-music. With this new record, he and Zach are expanding it with eight wonderful new ambient gems.
If you are looking for dreamlike, melodic and meditative sounds, you will find them in this record. "Demain, dès l'aube" is far removed from the loud, brutal, garish world surrounding us. It is, in a way, like a tiny escape and a safe space—where dreams and harmony are still allowed.
Some of the pieces are longer than you might be used to from this genre. Playing between five and 21 minutes, "Demain, dès l'aube" brings eight highly musical sound increments that perfectly serve as background music for meditation sessions and creative brainstorming—stimulating the imagination. All in all, they are the perfect accompaniment for every situation in life. You better always carry them with you for all those moments you'd love a pleasant musical accompaniment—to never feel lost again.