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Trees Hold Time
"Pantaleimon is the solo project of Andria Degens,
a floating member of Current 93. "Trees Hold Time" is a lazily strung
out series of minimalist compositions driven by dulcimer, bouzouki,
singing bowl and vocals. As repeated lullaby phrases are given time
to accumulate and build, the effect is similar to the piling tones
of Charlemagne Palestine's piano pieces, with overtones slowly blooming
and dying. Elsewhere, the grainy sound of bowed dulcimer gives "Trees
Hold Time" a real devotional air, sharing a still, contemplative grace
that's almost medieval. On the tracks with vocals, Degens summons
the lonesome spirit of the likes of mysterious UK folk legend Anne
Briggs, haunted and out of time." - David
Keenan, Wire Magazine, April 2000.
"Pantaleimon is indeed haunting, but the impression
I got and the word that soon came to my mind as I listened was "purity"
of sound, of artistry, of soul. I really enjoyed every moment of it
-- in part because I'm such a sucker for the sound of stringed instruments,
played with incredible expression and imagination in this case. But
I was also very taken with the vocal tracks. And both the music and
the vocals struck me as highly original as well as emanating from
an ageless tradition of folk music, though of what folk I cannot say
and never want to know. It was a kind of fantasy folk -- nothing kitsch
or banal about it". - Thomas Ligotti, award-winning
horror novelist.
"I just listened to Pantaleimon in my car
in Brussels during an afternoon between sun and rain... I was struck
by the beautifully intimate way it has been recorded... immediately
it seduces and lulls and serenades and hypnotises... a bowl resonating
two strings slightly beat and singing together, the stroke of a string,
it's metalicness, the scratch then the harmony, then the beatings
and the overtones and then the lovely decay sensual meditative fragile
feminine, totally natural... I think again of the deliciousness of
pure sound played with pure instruments, the warmth, the soul... there
is nothing electronic that can compare... and then the delicious female
voice... all the sounds on Pantaleimon come from forever... when were
there not bells and bowls and strings and voices?... it's from today
but from hundred & thousands of years ago also... I think of the sirens
on their island and poor Odysseus and his comrades... how could he
have resisted such seductive beauty in their songs?... impossible
and I can't resist either... Pantaleimon is a siren of our time and
her simple sonorous calming message a breath of fresh and aromatic
resonating sound in air... bravo!" - Charlemagne
Palestine, composer/musician/artist.
"It is a beautiful piece of work, the music is
instrumental to helping one shift plane and be more comfortable with
the world around. Thank you for this gift, it has companioned some
rich hours of reflection and the purity of voice is additional delight.
A tone that seems to have arisen from the forest in the middle of
the world. Thank you for making my creative days glow with this musical
treasure". - Jeremy Reed, writer/poet.
"This is an album of an ineffable and unique beauty,
quite unlike anything I have ever heard" -
David Tibet, Current 93.
"I love "Trees Hold Time". Andria has a lovely
pure voice and her spirit is evident in her work. What a soulful collection!"
- Antony of Antony and the Johnsons.
"I think "Trees Hold Time" is truly beautiful,
a perfect balance of music and space". -
Carter Brown, Labradford.
"Love your CD. It's just beautiful. Your music
is really good and people will be lucky to see it live". -
Jean-Yves Tola, 16 Horsepower.
"It is both beautiful and inspirational
and I hope there are more Pantaleimon albums in the future. I just
want to reiterate how much I love your singing voice. I could easily
listen to a whole album of it". - Joe Budenholzer,
Backworld.
Trees Hold Time and all the while, bright, round and spinning, slowly so ripples move out move in. Trees hold on and on and time runs on, and time runs in runs in and time runs out at the end of trees. This globe of sound, these simple tones go on and on...
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