I have a fondness for electronica in many forms, particularly meditative, ambient, and dance. Bands like Delerium and Conjure One, consistently produce music with extraordinary lyrics and moving lyricism. Sadly, this is a genre is filled with artists whose work is boring, repetitious, and just plain bad.
I am pleased to tell you that have found a wonderful band to add to my list of favorites: Aurah. Even better, it looks like Etherea Borealis is their fourth album, so I have more to explore! Aurah is Judith Martin and Marc Dold. Dold is a record producer whose credits include Enya, Erasure, Norah Jone sand Madonna. Martin is a studio vocalist who has CDs to her own credit as well as having done vocal work on TV shows like "Sex In The City" and “Charmed.” In style they are more like Conjure One than Enya or Terry Oldfield – dance-inducing rhythms and lyrics with a storyline.
The album’s weakest moments come when Dold sings, except on the last song “To Be Myself” when his slightly flat and graveled voice enhances the feeling of moving through a desert. The first track, “Amor Fati” is the perfect introduction – I started writing this review as I listened to it, knowing that I’d been given a solid foundation in who this band is and what they are creating. No song sounds exactly like another, and there was nothing shocking on this album at all.
Aurah isn’t interested in pushing a boundary – any boundary. Instead, they are looking for where their creative collaboration takes them and how they can bring us along for the ride.
Highly recommended.
~review by Lisa Mc Sherry
Artist: Aurah
CD, $15.98
