The Tower Tree – Transposing

5 reviews for The Tower Tree – Transposing

1. 

   Sylvain Lupari – 2022-11-22

   (Berlin School with psybient textures)Weird murmurs (African spectres?) which spin in a sound envelope full of quirky tones (rustles of leaves?) are swirling as being propelled by a sling shot. Reverberating waves infiltrate between the jets which revolve in loops here, creating an apocalyptic atmosphere where the rustles and the sectarian warbles dip us literally into a hostile universe. These 90 seconds which fill the introduction of The Tree” are the witnesses of the sound aestheticism which surrounds Transposing; the very first album of The Tower Tree. And who is The Tower Tree? It is the union of two craftsmen of the Belgian EM scene; Didier Dewachtere (BySenses) and Johan de Paepe(Owann) who have teamed up within the framework of the last B-Wave Festival which took place in Limburg

2. 

   Joost Egelie – 2022-11-22

   Before me lies Transposing, the first album of the new group The Tower Tree.A classic jewel case, with cover design by Alain Kinet, and mastered by Dries De Vreeze.The Tower Tree presented this album live at the B Wave festival in a great show of light music and video. The Tower Tree are Didier Dewachtere aka BySenses and Johan De Paepe aka Owan.The videos by Alain Kinet are not just supportive to the music, they were part of the adventure through time and imagination painted upon the canvas of the listener/ Experiencer.

   What instantly grabbed me as the listener, is the strange voices in the intro. They tell of a tale I could not understand yet. But they lead me by the hand into the undiscovered world under The Tree.Immediately when I stepped into that realm , some very nice sequences and an upbeat exotic drum surprised me. There is a certain dance in the flow of the composition, it swirls it leaves you and it comes back to you.Never boring, this piece will certainly unveil new mysteries each time heard.A word that you will keep seeing me using: Organic. This is living music.

   After the wild adventure beyond The Tree, I find myself in calmer waters in Transposing Mind. Again, a fabulous intro that tickle the imagination. This piece is also the longest track of the album. A dark mixture of whispers and choirs lure you to darker surroundings you wouldnt dare to enter on your own: the mindSlowly but steadily build towards an immense and vast wall of sound. A swampy rhytm keeps you up to pace with the melodies. This piece is in conversation with the listener; it holds a tale, but your mind is the narrator.Let me try to capture the feeling this track bestows: Beige and saffron colours under a burning sun, smell of exotic spices like cinnamon and cardamom, pal trees far away.But be aware there is a turning point. Suddenly it all doesnt seem so romantic anymore. Though the melody stays the same, the music gets spikes, there is a shadow interwoven.All an all, this track doesnt sound artificial it doesnt even feel electronic. It feels Organic, breathing, it left me with questions: Where am I..? Who am I..?? Am I ..??

   Puzzled back into perspective by the next track, the more lucid sequences weave another pattern. There is a careful use of echo here subtile, but very unique. The thythm is notoriously inviting.It hints threats, and indeed The Tower Tree is again building something colossal here. There is no escape, youre trapped by rock hard sequences and (Im running out of superlatives) humongous pads !And yet when I think this is just a transition, they turn this huge sound wal l into a lasting track. And yes !! it tastes like more.Just when I think the track cant get any more ruthless, it pulls another trick, by retreating and leaving me standing there. As luck would have it I find comfort in the smoothing ambient strings that weave the outro.

   I think this track could have been born in a cathedral. There is choir like pads, and the very melodious chords have a certain mystical glow over them.It is a beautiful composition in the true meaning of that word (Latin: con = together; ponere = to place)Very unlike the other tracks, but in every aspect at least equally great.The track can also be found on Owanns album Particles

   Destination Unknown, this track is the very first collaboration between BySenses and Owann under the name The Tower Tree and ended up the BySenses album Frigments Fragments ( 2014 ) because at that time there were no plans for making a Tower tree albumIndeed, this is an adaptation for live performance which resulted in a slightly shorter but overall thicker, greater, more evolved musical experience.The Tower Tree revisited this music in their typical way. The made it even more organic (yes, there is that word again!) than it already was.The intro is very orchestral and with a firm voice demands to be a soundtrack (which, thanks to Alain Kinet, it eventually became).A very, very s trong sequence enters. Razor strings that could cut steel fill up into a harmonic building up to a moment where modulation starts.All of a sudden the music chills down, masked in little schoolgirl like behavior.When you least expect it it returns, but not in full force like what I braced for.There are various aspects in this track, and they come and they go but they all typically describe the feeling of the title where are we going?.. Destination Unknown. It is the task of the listener to find that out and upon each listen, more possible destinations become visible.

   Conclusion, by far, I cannot but conclude that this debut album of The Tower Tree is an unfathomable deep and rich story of a complete newly created world.Opening the jewel case is like opening a gem box; in it lie 5 shiny colourful gems each with their own history, present and future. And whats more: theyre breathing, pulsating with a heart- beat, and yearning to tell their stories.I sincerely hope to hear more of this soon, but I can imagine that Johan and Didier have put the threshold way up high now. It will be hard to top that masterpiece.

   2016. Joost Egelie

3. 

   Frederic Gerchambau / Claire & Obscure – 2022-11-22

   The Tower Tree est un duo associant BySenses (Didier Dewachtere) et Owann (Johan de Paepe), deux musiciens belges ayant tremp leur talent et leurs synths dans les brumes tranges et fascinantes de la Berlin School initie par Tangerine Dream et Klaus Schulze dans les annes 70. L’album solo que chacun a sorti, Frigments/Fragments pour BySenses et Particles pour Owann, prouve qu’individuellement ils sont dj de dignes continuateurs des artisans de Phaedra, Ricochet, Timewind et Mirage. Une grande recherche dans leurs sons, tous trs beaux, des squences la fois fluides et puissantes, des nappes stratosphriques et des envoles de mellotron, tout y est parfaitement matris, grandiose et envotant, onirique et magnifique. Associs, leur musique n’est pas diffrente quant au style, elle est juste plus rflchie, plus profonde. Les morceaux sont plus longs aussi, plus construits, plus co mplexes. C’est le propre des duos que de transcender leurs membres, et The Tower Tree ne fait pas exception cette rgle d’or. C’est ainsi que Transposing propose cinq voyages sans relle destination, juste pour le plaisir du priple sonique, souvent fort mlodique, d’autres fois transharmonique, mais toujours bti sur l’alliance des qualits musicales des deux musiciens et la fusion alchimique de leurs personnalits.

   2016. Frederic Gerchambau / Claire & Obscure

4. 

   Andree / Duitsland – 2022-11-22

   Zeer krachtvolle en sferische muziek. Bevalt me zeer goed.Dit album zal wel niet meer lang in mijn verzameling ontbreken.2016. Andree / Duitsland

5. 

   Percy Flint – 2022-11-22

   I only can say It’s great music, so I can recommand it!

   2015. Percy Flint