Julia Kent - Asperities

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 25 / 11 / 2015

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From the gloomy perspective of her solo existence as a New York musician comes Julia Kent's sinister and compelling cello crying out like a lone lupine. With sheer ferocity she punishes the snares, creating tension and momentum. This she does by herself; the cello and all the other sounds are entirely hers. To the trained classical ear, 'Asperities' may sound like slow punk music, which is precisely why I so much love this stark and daring album. 'Asperities' her fourth album, is in her own words "(...) music (...) too close for comfort", but it works as the pastoral counterpart to industrial new wave minimalism. Although she carries the weight and burden of the world on her shoulders, Julia Kent rocks the cello within this framework and manipulates these recordings perfectly, mastering and conducting them as if a one-woman symphonic orchestra. Collapse and retreat are the two predominant themes on 'Asperities', which marks a clear step forward from her previous album 'Character'. 'Terrain', the track which appears halfway through this exercise, brings a full-blown urban bustle and buzz intermezzo, before it hands back room to her beguiling cello play. Above all she shows the futility of using electronics and sounds after having mastered playing acoustics instruments and learnt both tricks. Playing electronic sounds as if playing keyboards, Julia Kent sticks to the basics. She excels, not in virtuosity on her cello but in the hiding of her shortcomings, providing a perfect counterplay. With genuine prowess though, Julia Kent proves to be today's most passionate cello punkesse.

Track Listing:-

1 Hellebore
2 Lac des Arcs
3 The Leopard
4 Flag of No Country
5 Terrain
6 Empty States
7 Heavy Eyes
8 Invitation to the Voyage
9 Tramontana

Band Links:-

http://www.juliakent.com/
https://www.facebook.com/juliakent.music
https://twitter.com/juliakent
http://music.juliakent.com/
http://www.songkick.com/artists/976597-julia-kent
https://www.youtube.com/user/juliaxkent

Label Links:-

http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/index.php
https://www.facebook.com/theleaflabel
https://twitter.com/theleaflabel
https://www.youtube.com/user/theleaflabel
https://plus.google.com/109098497483046618790

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