Marc Hellner’s name might not instantly sound
familiar, but the Chicago-based artist has been an active
member of audio-visual duo Pulseprogramming for some
time and has also been found playing in Chicago’s
experimental ensemble L’Altra. A self-confessed
workaholic who ‘writes too much music for just
one project’, Hellner is releasing his first solo
effort with Marriages.
This album combines sumptuous acoustic instrumentation
and electronics to provide a series of delicate backdrops
for his sweet and sour pop songs. Evoking influences
ranging from Talk Talk and Blue Nile to Arvo Pärt,
Hellner remains very consistent and focussed all the
way through, carving heart-felt melodies right at the
heart of his intimate soundscapes. Yet, Marriages
is far from being a solitary stroll. Hellner’s
work is often the fruit of a collaborative effort, and
this album is not exception. Featuring contributions
from Tortoise percussionist John Herndon, recently heard
alongside Rob Mazurek as part of Mandarin
Movie, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, Town & Country
double bassist Josh Abrams and Telefon
Tel-Aviv’s Joshua Eustis and Charles Cooper,
who by producing this record, appear to make a further
step away from instrumental electronica toward song-based
music.
The title track to Hellner’s recent EP, Asleep
On The Wing, is featured here, yet Marriages
evolves around a far wider music scope over its nine
songs. Gentle acoustic and electric guitars glaze over
vaporous electronic waves and discreet glitch and Lonberg-Holm
melancholic cello, providing Hellner’s soft voice
with some truly evocative ambiences. From the pop sensibilities
of Handshaking, which opens this album, or
Nonsense And Happiness to the ethereal Both
Of Us or Asleep On The Wing and the reflective
Last Chances or Orphea, which momentarily
finds Hellner on Harold Bud territory, Marriages
accumulates moods and hints of pop desolation of bands
such as American Music Club or Red House Painters. Yet,
the layers surrounding Hellner’s monotonous voice
are incredibly rich and detailed, making this record
a totally unique piece of work.
Away from his work with Pulseprogramming, Marc Hellner
creates with Marriages a beautifully intimate
and elegant record fuelled with raw emotions and served
with subtle arrangements. Although Hellner is surrounded
by friends all the way through, the mood remain intensely
personal. Marriages shows Hellner as a truly
gifted musician and songwriter.
4.5/5 |
