The carillon is a mammoth instrument weighing around three tonnes and housing 50 bells of various tones—hardly one that lends itself to ambient electronica.
But when German electro musician Pantha Du Prince (a.k.a. Hendrik Weber) heard the clamorous tones of the carillon echoing across Oslo it marked the genesis of his most ambitious project to date.
Elements Of Light is a baroque electro-symphony for bell carillon and percussion.
The album saw Weber collaborating with composer Lars Petter Hagen and a group of Norwegian musicians known as The Bell Laboratory.
The overarching concept of Elements Of Light is immediately apparent with each track being named for an element of light. This conceit skirts the bounds of pretension; fortunately, the majesty of the music allows one to overlook this.
The album opens and closes with four minutes of eerie and unadorned bell chimes. There is an air of Eno minimalism to these tracks and if Elements Of Light did not expand on this sound then it would be music best relegated to new-age meditation playlists.
The two extended tracks, however, are where the record takes glorious flight and where the depth and complexity of Weber’s compositions become evident.
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The 17-minute opus “Spectral Split” opens with hypnotic drones and chimes, pillowy textures that hint at melodies. Gradually layered in are keys, muted four-on-the-floor beats, and subtle synth bass.
Marimba and bell melodies swirl in counterpoint as the composition evolves. By the 13-minute mark the track has propelled itself into a euphoric trance, before the music recedes, gently returning the listener to reality.
Elements Of Light is an ambitious and rewarding album, a sonic journey of space-opera grandeur and cathedral majesty.
