SCHATTENSPIEL - LICHTGESTALTEN

ARTIST: Schattenspiel
TITLE: Lichtgestalten
ARTIST LINK: http://www.facebook.com/Schattenspiel.Music
ARTIST COUNTRY: Germany
CATALOG: dmb012
LABEL: Dead Man's Beat
LABEL LINK: www.deadmastersbeat.de
GENRE: NeuClassical/Ambient/Industrial

TRACKLIST:
1_ Der Flug des Schmetterlings
2_ Thirst
3_ Totenwache [Over Concrete] feat. Rex The Ninth
4_ Eschatological Scenario
5_ Echo
6_ Morgendämmerung
7_ Falling Down 2010
8_ Many Are Called, Few Are Choosen
9_ Shadows
10_ Sun & Steel feat. Barbarossa Umtrunk
11_ Phenomenon
12_ Zerstörung feat. Arvorar
13_ Mi Nombre es La Muerte feat. Igniis
14_ Falling Down feat. Hermann Kopp

I would like to start this review with a back-handed compliment. I honestly did not foresee exactly how it was possible for Sven Phalanx to surpass the grandiosity of his last work. He did it, though. He achieved an even stronger album by going in the exact opposite direction that "Schattenkrieger" went. Now, this album has been in the works for a couple of years, and when I was approached by Sven back in 2oo9 to remix any song of his that I wished, I was unaware of the direction he wanted to go. I was under the impression that what turned out to be this sophisticated, mature effort, was just going to be Sven 'n Friends, a collection of possibilities stemming from the root of a Schattenspiel song. How wrong I was. Today, this error of assumption has turned into an unexpected joy. It is a rainy, calm day here in West Hollywood, and I only wish that as the waters wash along these filthy streets, they could help tell everyone how proud I am of everyone who was kind enough to dedicate their time and talent for the creation of "Lichtgestalten".

It has become obvious to you, my friends, that as I am of the darker persuasion, I favor things of a more somber color, and this album fits that niche perfectly, but what I favor more than darkness is progress, innovation, evolution. Sven has allowed Schattenspiel to evolve. This album has a wider range of sound, but it doesn't seek heights as aggressively as the second half of "Schattenkrieger", nor does it have the same tinges of sadness the first half did. There is still sorrow present, but more importantly, there is also perfect harmony in this album, and while the stories the individual tracks are as different as the people that helped forge them, there is a common realm that most of the songs share. There is something of an unwavering focus instilled here, so the place you begin at is finite, only you are then forced to confront the very personal nature of each track. This album feels just that way, personal, and while the expansiveness of his last album was one of its strengths, Sven has managed to astonish me by letting all his collaborators play on their ABSOLUTE strengths.

I can attest to this last statement with my own experience. I am very pleased with the fact that the electronics have seen a significant influx this time, and I can attribute the best of that to Christian Salva. What makes his input to this album especially meaningful for me is not only the utter clarity of his modern style, but his contributions outweigh [collectively] the fractal abstraction and rhythmic noise in my remix for the great little ambient track called "Totenwache". Why fractal? Because that is the perfect way of describing the spaced out overlapping I used to manipulate the nice little violin track Sven originated and turned it into something of a disjointed but harmonized orchestra among a swell of static. I feel that this track would sound out of place if Sven had not taken the liberty of blending his classical convictions with the noisier bout of electronic elements given to the majority of the songs. There are more different beat-sequences in this album. There is more sampling. There is a very healthy portion of some very sweet and heartfelt vocals done by the very sexy and sultry sirens known as Seetha and Shaita.

These girls give one of the most important things this album needed to be as strong as it is, which is the human element. Not only do these two have great voices, but they made sure to use them in the best way possible to fit each song. They took great care in the melodic delivery of each verse, each line, each word. I believe Seetha shines best in the outstanding re-working of "Falling Down". I was floored by this new version. So much so that I think it is very close to what would be considered a climax for this album, but as powerful of a rendition as it is, it still fits into the focused vision that is the entirety of the album. As for Shaita, her absolute moment of glory for me has to be "Echo". Everything that can be said about "Falling Down 2010" can be repeated for "Echo", and I particularly enjoy how both ladies impart a tenderness to all their work alongside their yearning, passion, emotion... They too have evolved. Their personalities come through and make "Lichtgestalten" as much theirs as it is Sven's.

I could not include the word balance here without mentioning the work put in that gives a more sinister tone to some of the tracks. This was taken care of by the pieces done with both Barbarossa Umtrunk and Igniis. These are part of the much needed male counterparts in the face of feminine sweetness and a serene flow of feeling to help make this piece more universally appealing, and indeed, more universal. I loved the clarity of Mr. Mateo's vocals on this one, the brightness of the guitar, the fact that while he stands in the same light as everyone else here, he confronts the outside world, giving social commentary, but linking it to the hurt most of the rest of the album sees.

I am stunned. I don't even want to pick apart the album further by naming favorites because this is a work that should be considered as a whole. Sven Phalanx has transcended a former version of himself. Those who have already felt very endeared to him will find themselves loving him now. This album is that exceptional.

This album is a triumph.