T H E S P E L L

Kevin Braheny and Tim Clark have long been among the most original artists in electronic music, and each has a sound that is instantly recognizable.

Braheny’s unique sonic fingerprint comes courtesy of his multi-octave Steiner EWI (electronic wind instrument), which can sound like a flute, violin, human voice, or anything in between. Twirl a few knobs on this versatile device however, and it can sound like a tool for snakecharmers on Neptune. Tim Clark, in contrast, is not known for any particular instrument, but for his skillful use of nearly any obscure instrument to sound just the right note.

When the two got together originally for 1995’s Rain, the result was a stellar example of two self-contained parts coming together to make an even greater whole. Clark’s clean tones and percussive arrangements were the perfect contrast and foundation for Braheny’s lyrical sweetly emotive melodies. Cheered by critical raves, the two continued to collaborate and the seed that was nurtured by Rain has come to full bloom on heir second effort.

Nearly cinematic in its richness and detail, The Spell is a finely wrought feast for the ears and the mind’s eye. The music flows effortlessly, belying he fact that worlds within worlds of wonder are layered into each of the eight pieces. Like explorers of the subatomic realm, listeners will find that each elegant melody is actually formed from many intricate smaller symmetries, each as fundamental to the overall sound as atoms are to our own being.

From the opening notes of “The Magician” to the fading moments of “Sorcerer’s Parade.” Braheny and Clark use their expanded palette to paint panoramic vistas like “The Magician,” and “Merlin’s Last Voyage” as well as intimate portraits like “The Spell” that are both familiar and exotic. Two superb programmatic pieces are served up as well. On “Time in the Mirror,” the looking glass shatters inward, revealing the mysteries that lie on the other side, and, on “A Perfect Evening for Flying Carpets,” even the imagination-impaired cannot fail to enjoy the exact moment when the carpet lifts off and soars into the starry Arabian night.

Throughout it all, the music is marked by countless subtle nuances that are the hallmark of true craftsmen, and imbued with a unique magic that flows as a natural byproduct of this enchanting collaboration. The Spell has been cast, and special rewards await those who surrender to its magical charms.

Notes by Bill Davis 1996