Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Christine Ott & Mathieu Gabry — Aran
(Bandcamp Gizeh GZH120, 2025, CD / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2026-02-02

Aran Cover art

Aran is the third part of Christine Ott’s silent movie soundtrack trilogy composed and played for movies by F.W. Murnau and Robert Flaherty. The first two albums, Tabu (2016) and Nanook of the North (2018), predate my introduction to Christine Ott’s music. The movie Aran takes place on an island off the coast of Ireland constantly battered by storms, depicting the daily life of a fishing family in the last century, constantly battling the elements. Christine Ott is accompanied on stage by Mathieu Gabry, her partner in Snowdrops, and the duo weaves a score between impressionism, repetitive music, and chamber post-rock. This live recording is the last rehearsal before the premiere, in the silence of the Cheval Blanc hall near Strasbourg, before the audience enters. Christine spent four years composing the music, originally intended to a piano piece, but over time decided to incorporate harp and theremin and Mathieu on keyboards and drones. Aran is one of those musical pieces that probably should be experienced while viewing the movie. I could have just been impatient the day I listened to the album, but each of the sixteen tracks just seemed too long. Overall there is a melancholic air that permeates each track, and despite the drones, prepared piano, harp, and synths, there is a sameness that accompanies Christine’s neo-classical piano themes from the first to last note. It is not until track fifteen, “Shadows in the Waves,” that a rhythm emerges from the timeless music. Like I said, Aran is probably better experienced in a multi-media environment.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Christine Ott, Snowdrops

More info
http://christineott.bandcamp.com/album/aran

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.