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Reviews

Michael Stearns / Ron Sunsinger — Sorcerer
(Spotted Peccary SPM-1101, 2000, CD)

Sorcerer Cover art

Stearns and Sunsinger have collaborated before on Singing Stones and Kiva. Sorcerer is inspired by the works of Carlos Castaneda, a controversial writer whose formative books were based on his apprenticeship with the Yaqui sorcerer Don Juan. Stearns and Sunsinger have concentrated on an alien, dark tone for the album, producing music that evokes psychotropic images and surreal, disturbing vistas that do well to capture the bizarre imagery of Casteneda’s novels. There are ten tracks on the album, each displaying a thematic element of one of the novels. “Little Smoke” is startlingly inaugural and successively hallucinogenic. “Portal” is abstract, psychedelic, and shattering. The ritualistic, indigenous, and finally, dark and droning “Journey to the Underworld” is epic in nature. The latter half of the CD picks up in both volume and intensity, from the timbrally complex “The Eagle’s Emanations,” full of lengthy, detailed drones, though the reality-bending “Humito Final” interlude, to the finale “Cicharisca,” a Ayahuasca Icarro song with chanting vocals, prepared electric guitar, and loads of synthesizers. A release, totally surprising for the Spotted Peccary label and the darkest release I’ve heard from the label or musicians. A modern classic.

by Mike McLatchey, Published 2001-03-01

The first thing one notices about this disk are the amazing special effects; a sandstorm blowing through your listening room, birds of prey circling overhead, a swarm of locusts coming out of your speakers and filling the room. The second thing, at least for anyone who has spent any time listening to Spotted Peccary releases, is that this is by far the most dark and unsettling release they have ever put out; downright scary in parts. Not the lush symphonic and electronic sounscapes they are better known for, but a very intense nightmarish dark-ambient dreamscape that will curl your toes in fear in a dark room on a winter night. The ten pieces herein are inspired by the writings of the late Carlos Castaneda. Both composers, deeply affected by his works, have created the dense and mysterious collaboration using synths, hand percussion, sampled sounds, and tapes, with guests contributing Native American flutes, wind harps, prepared guitars, and even vocals on one track. But the results are much greater than simply the sum of the parts; indeed there is a deep understanding and strong effort to convey the spirit of the sorcerer in this eerie sonic sculpture. What Stearns and Sunsinger have created here is no accident of experimentation, but a very deliberate conceptual work that peels away the conscious state and bends the experience of existence. Highly recommended, but probably not for everyone.

by Peter Thelen, Published 2001-03-01

Filed under: New releases, Issue 21, 2000 releases

Related artist(s): Michael Stearns, Ron Sunsinger

More info
http://michaelstearns-spm.bandcamp.com/album/sorcerer

 

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