Circle - Raunio
(Squealer)
The Scene: Bizarre, hymn-like lyrics that are totally incomprehensible, wide-reaching soundscapes that are frequently just as sweeping as they are simply haunting, and sounds that obtain this sort of presence by just being simple and to the point. Sigur Ros? No. Let's cut to the chase—Circle's Raunio is everything that Sigur Ros would want to be in a live setting, thus one-upping everyone's buzz-favorite Icelandic quartet. Don't get me wrong—Sigur Ros aren't a bad band, especially within the studio, but it's pretty easy for them to fall prey to the hype. Circle, on the other hand, is perfectly content to dwell within the corners of the international musical landscape and continue to finely hone their craft. Raunio is a live document culled from three shows in late 2001, and it sets out 10 well-crafted tracks that perfectly accompany the disc's muted photographs of the Finnish countryside. It is almost as if the band has found a way to write, perform, and record the sounds that the evergreens and high, snow-peaked mountains could indeed create had they the ability to project own sounds.
Upon first glance across the CD's liner, it comes as a bit of a shock to see that only three of the album's tracks exceed ten minutes. Most clock in at around the five to seven minute range, ample time for the band to create one mood right before they shift the listener into yet another direction. One area where Circle excels is in the juxtaposition of sounds. For example, within the first few minutes of the opener "Raunio I" the band shifts from a tonally high and loud guitar assault immediately to an understated light guitar/key combo over deeply monastic vocal chants. The result is quite mesmerizing, only to become more enchanting once drums and additional rhythm are introduced with "Alotus." From track to track, the sounds are all seamlessly intertwined and the disc really comes off as a unified whole. There is the driving rock of "Kultaa" as much as there is the distorted pulsing of "Potto." All sorts of sounds are represented fairly and evenly.
Circle's music isn't earth-shattering but it is well-crafted, highly engaging minimalist drone and riff fare. Everything that they throw into their arsenal is well-honed and squarely hits the mark. There are moments of driving, rhythmic rock, Ash Ra Tempel-esque repetition and vocals that alternate between frightening and ethereal. Circle offers a concerted space where simple tones and tricks lead to a highly hypnotic whole.
|
