Wejdas
Wejdas
[Red Stream]


I already heard Eirime - the side-project from Wejdas' members, so I kind of knew what to expect from this CD. My expectations weren't unfounded, as this self-titled album has a number of analogous features with Eirime, although there are differences. But let me describe everything in order.

The CD has only three tracks. The first one is 31 minutes long. It is my favorite track on the album, and the only one that I actually liked. It bears the most resemblance to Eirime (new-age piano arrangements in the beginning and at the end of the track), but, once again, I like it much more. Eirime's "Kursjoi" is so light and airy that it's almost transparent. This song has similar characteristics, but there is something about it that makes it more "alive" if you will. There is a wide range of nature sounds like bird singing, murmurs of bents, water and forest, which, together with vocal scraps, some percussion, additional folk instruments and this really "out there" ambience create a very mystical, outlandish, nature-folk ritual. You can meditate to it, or you can just sit and look out the window, or maybe even read, or...well, you get the picture, but the bottom line is that it's good and original. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the two remaining pieces. The second piece, which lasts for ten minutes, is a combination of ambient backdrop and romping lines of morphed beats, which bring the music closer towards the current standard of modern electronic techno. I hesitate to say that it's a bad piece, but it's not the kind of music I am very fond of, and, frankly, it pales in comparison to the first track. The last song, I believe, is downright cheesy. It's about six minutes long, and consists of this very melodramatic ambience which sounds just too, er, melodramatic for me to enjoy it.

So, what do we have in the end? One out of three, but the one that's good makes up 2/3's of the CD. Much like Eirime, this music is not for everyone, and if you will be considering this album, I strongly suggest that you listen to it before buying.


© 2000 boris