Here's where my info gets sketchy. I should probably research my statements here before writing this bit, but it's somewhat incidental to the review so I'll just chalk it up to faulty memory if I'm wrong. I remember reading somewhere this disc was recorded for a 3D environment. I believe it was recorded and intended to be played in a gallery type space with different sounds playing in different areas creating a visual and audio experience for the visitor. The disc instructs the listener to wear head phones in order to experience the 3D surround environment. Keeping this in mind, you can begin to understand the ambient nature of the disc.
The first track takes place in three movements; the second being the most exciting with a disco beat and faster tempo. If you have an active imagination, picture yourself shifting through different musical dimensions and you will have an idea of how the changes in this song feel. They're not natural progressions, but not jarring either. There is a flow. 'Open Our Eyes' is quite ambient until the drum loop kicks in. At this point, the song becomes sad. Maybe it's the pace of the rhythm, or the minor chords playing just below the surface... I feel longing, regret... A missed opportunity.
'Too Deep For Tears' with its Japanese texture is perhaps my favorite track. Another minor key song; this one pregnant with suspicion. When I hear it, I feel my intuition is telling me something bad has happened. But my mind is pointing out there's no evidence to support the feeling. You know you're right, but you can't react because the proof isn't there. Yet... So you drift in a limbo state knowing it's coming and unable to change events. You put on a brave face and steel yourself against the emotional onslaught.
'I Think I'm In Love' is rather lighthearted and sweet. It seems to give the title a naivete it normally doesn't convey. 'The East Is Falling' is also mediocre in happiness. You find a smile haunting the corners of your mouth. It's nice but hardly pretentious. 'Wilderness/Turbulence' is another matter entirely. Just like the title, this song seems to have two halves. The first is flat open space free from the influence of man. It's the silence in the forest when a tree falls. Suddenly, the turbulence begins. A marching beat kicks in and disrupts the soft sounds of nature. It tramples the ambiance with sirens and effects, leaving you certain the landscape is scarred and changed forever.
'Disappearing Breakthroughs' sounds like a mad scientist in an X-Files episode. I think the intent of this track was to define a moment when an important and life altering discovery becomes mundane and loses its importance. 'The Light Far Away' is the forward thinking, "looking into the future on a positive note" ending this disc needs to round out it's edges. It promises more.
Though ambient records can be extremely dull and unsatisfying to the average listener, they can also be emotional to those who allow themselves to "feel" music. When you consider the types of sound based recordings used to conjure emotional response... I.e: Whale song, forest sounds, etc. etc., this project is extremely accessible. Contemplate the titles while listening to the music and find your own meaning. These are the best types of interpretive composition because they often give texture to concepts we only vaguely consider. I like 'Pretentious'. You might too. My final word: ARTISTIC.
THE CLARKE & WARE EXPERIMENT - PRETENTIOUS
01. Music For Multiple Dimensions
02. Open Our Eyes
03. Too Deep For Tears
04. I Think I'm In Love
05. The East Is Falling
06. Wilderness/Turbulence
07. Disappearing Breakthroughs
08. The Light Far Away
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