on 2009-05-11 dscanland Said:

I haven't been able to get into Fennesz. Possibly time to try again.
Not Rated

Review:

on 2009-05-11 muddyfish_uk Said:

Christian Fennesz is perhaps the undisputed master of granulated noise electronica. 'Venice' is a demanding disk which straddles the fence separating ambient works from IDM (intelligent dance music), however there is nothing resembling a beat anywhere on this album so the latter label is something of a misnomer.

'Rivers of Sound' is a promising opener and establishes the album with a high which sadly isn't reached again for the duration of the albums 49 minutes. The music is composed of layers upon layers of glitchy electronica, flowing into a tangled, albeit gentle, blanket of noise typical of the artist. 'City of Light' and 'The Point of it All' take a similar sonic route and it is these pieces which form the highlights of the album. In between the main pieces are shorter intermissions which help to break down the severity of the music. The Eluvium esque 'Onsay' is a particular delight.

The record lets itself down with the abrasive 'Onsra' and 'The Stone of Impermanence', which shocks the life out of you after the proceeding genial nature of the album. The contribution of the artist David Sylvian also comes across as slightly confused. While his vocal contribution is flawless in itself, the contrasting style with Fennesz's micro electronica is clumsy and 'Venice' would come across as more coherent work without these flaws.
Rating: 7/10