Harald Nies – Earthcreator

2 reviews for Harald Nies – Earthcreator

1. 

   Kristian Persson / Sweden – 2022-11-22

   With ‘Earthcreator’, Harald has developed and matured even more. He certainly shows he is able to do everything ranging from ambient, and chill-out music, to a more progressive-rock oriented band-like feel with a dash of ‘Pink Floyd guitars’. I have all of Harald’s albums in my collection, and this one is, just like the press info says, one of his best, right beside ‘Cryptic Labyrinth’ and ‘Magnetic Deflection’. Though, It has a deeper progressive feel to it and more guitars added than any of his other releases, with perhaps the exception for ‘Cryptic Labyrinth’.

   I personally like the first track ‘Seven Features In One Dream’ the most. Mainly because of the massive” use of guitars in it

2. 

   Sylvain Lupari / Guts Of Darkness – 2022-11-22

   In this surprising musical universe that is EM, playing guitar and synth divide many purists, because the line is thin between cosmic rock, prog and EM. Harald Nies is among these artists with hybrid orientations which cherish as much slow sedative strata as heavy rhythms of a cosmic rock and EM fusion. Earthcreator, his 7th opus, presents a Harald Nies modulating his musical structures by rich and dense synth strata which abound above electric guitars. A beautiful musical adventure composed by 5 tracks to evolutions and multiple orientations where musical genres confront on melodious and changeable structures which cross long ambient corridors. A suave lyrical duel between guitars and synths, of which the winner is fan of Harald Nies and cosmic rock.

   Fine crystalline arpeggios skip nervously in a cosmos covered of ethereal choruses, when an insistent bass weaves the Seven Features in One Dream hatched rhythm. Minimalism pulsations variances are wreathing to keyboard keys, surrounded by beautiful waltzing strata to fragrances of old Schulzian organ, when the tempo turns away towards a more ambient passage where celestial flutes embrace a dreamy structure. A brief ambient passage before the rhythm takes a second breath, becoming more incisive with more hammering percussions, on a structure covered of wrapping synth strata where synth solos to very TD (Underwater Sunlight) flavors are bicking on top with heavy and chiseled guitar solos.
   A thunder mutters on Earthcreator opening, dividing a multitude of synth layers to weak vocal veins. Furtive piano notes draw a melodious structure which dances among the hazes of a fluty synth blowing on an indecisive tempo. A crossbreed tempo between tribal rhythms of tabla percussions and cooing of a funky bass. In middle-course, the movement becomes atonal with breaths of a solitary guitar which get lost in a whirlwind of synthesized strata which hem while slightly syncopated, before resuming into a melodious structure as crystal clear as a rivulet under a synth to suave fluty solo la Pink Floyd on Wish you Where Here and a guitar to big heavy solos.
   Dividing Waters is the longest title on Earthcreator. A long title structured on two phases which begins in the waves of a synth to multiple emanations, as spatial as spectral, which surround a guitar to timeless loops. The movement runs out and plunges in an ambient cosmic of with soft reverberating strata which undulate with lamentations, espousing a distant marrying one poetry of a melancholic world where twinkling keys liven up an atonal structure. Of this waltzing abyssal borns a delicate line of bass which oozes dreamily, introducing a finale which progresses delicately on a very harmonious rhythmic where percussions and whirling sequences dance on semi symphonic solos of a synth to melodious orchestrations. A synth stuffed with magnificent melancholic strata which fly from piano back, before ending in this atonal nothingness which divided the structures. A very beautiful, well structured and finely elaborated musical piece.
   The intro of Interaction of Elements will revive memories Tangerine Dream fans, Thief and Waveland era. A multitude sequential chord sparkles indefatigably under the eye of a wrapping synth, of which slow sinuous twists are shape to delicate fluty salvoes. A more ambient and more oniric title which will please fans of the Dream with its numerous synth pads that form a beautiful ambient structure, while filtering soft solos which embrace a delicate line of bass which couples to subtle percussions in order to draw a slow twinkling rhythmic.
   The ambient approach persists on Earth Core opening, moulding a brief intro to cosmic flavor. Around the 3rd minute point, a galloping sequence introduces a deafening rhythmic ride where solos of synths espouse final credits of spaghetti westerns under unbridled drums. Around the 7th minute point, the rhythm breaks itself and becomes an ambient cosmic breath which a synth pushes towards space where a magnificent acoustic guitar awakens stars with a soft synthesized orchestration which slips a suave spectral solo which sinuously steals among the guitar, shaping a magnificent cosmic nursery rhyme.

   Earthcreator is the album of change for Harald Nies. Sharply more ethereal and electronic than his previous works, Harald Nies built up his own sound identity, abandoning the tag of an emulator of Ashra and Mind Over Matter. On Earthcreator he shaped a more complex musical universe and richer in synthesized variations, demonstrating his hold on his direction and his artistic evolution. If Nies is less caustic and incisive, he became wiser and more poetic. He doesn’t hesitate to exploit his introversion, which very often made the difference between a good album and a more complex and mature album where emotions feel in skin deep.

   2010. Sylvain Lupari / Guts Of Darkness