Rothko - Continual Search For Orgins

  by Olga Sladeckova

published: 21 / 6 / 2002

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Review

‘Continual Search For Origins’ is Rothko, the London based band's 6th album, and the first one to be released by the group on Too Pure records. The band features Mark Beazley (bass guitar and other instruments) as its core musician, who has on this album collaborated with musicians from the avant-garde group Delicate AWOL. For the main theme of 'Continual Search for Origins', Mark has used the memories of his holidays in the small village of Origlio in Switzerland, and capturing some of the original sounds that he recorded there including rain, crickets, and church bells, has built music around them. The whole of this Swiss memories trip is started with ‘On The Day We Said Goodbye’ upon which guest vocalist Caroline Ross's voice is backed by cautious but passionate strums of Mark's bass guitar. In the background of the song you can also hear voices of some of the Origlio villagers that Mark had the chance to record. ‘St. Georgio’, named after the church in Origlio village, features the ringing of bells. The following ‘Memories Of Zurich’ is darker in tone and combines the mysterious sound of Mark's bass with a piano. It feels like night time by the time you get to the next track ‘I Sense You Fading Away’ upon which a trumpet spreading across the darkness is broken up by the noise of a helicopter. Rothko’s music is full of various sounds and noises laid one over another to create a music collage. Every single one is then exposed to your attention and gives the sound its own characteristic intensity before the following one crosses it. The last song titled ‘Words Melt Away’ closes the album , as it was opened, with Ross's vocals. The music, however, already does the talking more then well enough across the whole album. I taped the CD very shortly after I got hold of it and played it on a walkman. Walking down a busy road in the rain and listening to it, I became lost in it. I was amazed at how convincing the music was and how it took me away from that road and out of my surroundings. I believe that it can help you to find an escape as well.

Track Listing:-

1 On The Day We Said Goodbye
2 This Lake Of Hope
3 Fragile Strands Of Time
4 Bloodtied
5 St Giorgio
6 Memories Of Zurich
7 I Sense You Fading Away
8 Crossing To Gandria
9 To Other Horizons
10 Deepest Shadows Have Light
11 Words Melt Away

Band Links:-

http://www.deathrattlepress.com/rothhk
http://www.tracerecordings.com/artists
http://cargocollective.com/rothko

Label Links:-

http://www.toopure.com/
https://www.facebook.com/too-pure-9333
https://twitter.com/toopuresingles