Genre: Folk / Ethnic / Experimental / Post Rock

01 The Joy of Nature – Introduçao aos Bosques Escuros e aos Teatros do Mar
02 The Joy of Nature – A Theatre Burning in the Night Sky
03 The Joy of Nature – Enquanto o rio corre…
04 The Joy of Nature – The Twilight of the Old King II
05 The Joy of Nature – Um Fogo na Nèvoa
06 The Joy of Nature – Uma noite de chuva no jardim da Ilha Encantada
07 The Joy of Nature – Persona II
08 The Joy of Nature – The Book of the Dead
09 Post Crash High – The order behind and beyond all things
10 The Joy of Nature – Fire only rests when there’s nothing left to burn
11 The Joy of Nature vs aquarelle – Fantasmas e duendes costumavam dormer no meu sofa, a altas horas da noite. E voltarao a faze-lo
12 The Joy of Nature vs aquarelle – O Embalo das sereias
13 Post Crash High – The world is burning so let us walts
14 The Joy of Nature and discipline – A lament for this cursed age
15 The Joy of Nature vs. Post Crash High – The ‘glorious’ moder civilization is falling
16 The Joy of Nature and discipline - Spirals
17 The Joy of Nature vs. aquarelle - Boliana
18 The Joy of Nature vs. aquarelle – Fechando a Caixa das memorias
19 The Joy of Nature – Ecos que mostram o circulo
20 The Joy of Nature – Agora que sabemos o que faltava
21 The Joy of Nature – De regreso aos bosques, a outros Bosques

Although I had read many times about The Joy of Nature (and his Discipline) I had never really listened to them. Now that was a stupid thing to do and I am very lucky to have alleviated my loss. So there. ‘AGkaanta, asRti, Parasamgate’ is the name of their new release that commemorates the ten years of existence of this astonishing band. The entire record contains more than 73 minutes of music, divided in twenty one tracks. The record is self-released, and comes in a hand woven package with a flower. This is pure one-of-a-kind folk spirit! The record is limited to 100 copies, and I entice you purchase it ASAP, since I am pretty sure there will be almost none left by this time. Luis Couto also includes special excerpts from a book in each record, and has created a blog compiling this information, which you can check here http://asrti-parasamgate.blogspot.com.

The record is a collection of some old stuff, mostly unreleased tracks, some new material, some versions. The music is the perfect combination of haunting folk and dark tinges of obscure melodies. Each song lists the instruments used for its creation, offering a large collection of ideas for any folk lover: Tibetan loop, tambourine, wind chimes, zither, guitar, organ, harp, glasses, and a countless list of possibilities. The songs unite a certain oriental bluntness, a thick folk, ritual and sometimes native sounding backbone and the somber use of voice lines. Almost moving into ethic or new age in some songs with the soundtrack use of water or background samplers (as in ‘A Theatre burning in the Night Sky’), the songs always twist around, like a snake, to transform into a darker version of themselves and leave any sort of mainstream way behind while treading into a more bizarre universe. The sound flows from folk to extremely medieval sounding, to freestyle troubadour, to experimental and minimal. The only influences one might recognize are Durtro and the most experimental Current 93, perhaps only because of the type of instruments, the thick organ and the rich chord instruments.

From my personal favorites, I pick out ‘Enquanto o rio corre’. It opens with the sound of water running and a languid, melancholic melody brought by the piano. The voices appear almost as in a chanting, and soon fall into the emptiness the sounds manage to create. The song, like many in the record, then alters into a clear composition, almost chill-out new age except in the unnerving version. The voice murmurs, whispers, gapes. The experimental fairy-like ‘The order behind and beyond all things’ has an amazing evolution, from electric soundscapes to the organic drops of bells that shift mechanical into organic in some brief minutes. The violin then moves the song into tragic, theatrical sounds, until the song flickers and dies. ‘The world is burning, so let us walts’ is another work of art in atmosphere – where the drums and voices blend together into a perfect mix to then dissolve into the beautiful guitar melody. The song would be a perfect example of post-rock ambiance, if it weren’t simply so brilliant and superior. ‘Boliana’ is also unsettlingly beautiful, where the quietness of a continuous piano is swayed by guitar lines. All in all, the record is almost shocking in its variety, yet at the same time manages to keep a unifying line of compositions. Perhaps it’s the foggy, grey splendor of each image, or the decadent, brittle sceneries the music beckons. If there were a parallel world of living nature in a planet like ours, for sure it would move in shades of silver and teal and sound like this.