Search - Et Ret :: Gasworks

"One big ode to peace and joy, work and living. It's all there." The missing link between the one-man-band indie simplicity of the Durutti Coloumn's early albums and the slow-building post-rock grandeur of the likes of Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Et Ret's Gasworks is an endlessly fascinating album. Primarily a guitarist and violinist, Et Ret adds organ, hand percussion, brief wordless vocal passages, and a bit of synth to these eight lengthy, slowly unfolding pieces. Generally, the songs start simply, with one or two instruments forming a basic pattern that's elaborated upon and then slowly transformed by the additional instrumentation. Several memorable changes are worked on that basic schematic, making Gasworks a varied, subtle, and intriguing instrumental release. -ALL MUSIC GUIDE It's tempting to describe Et Ret as an experimental guitarist/violinist. However, rather than embracing cacophony and cold aesthetics, Et Ret's compositions achieve warmth and resonance through rhythmic and melodic repetition. He complements his confident but restrained guitar melodies with deeply impassioned swirls of violins and cellos, calling to mind the work of Dirty Three violinist Warren Ellis. As a final touch, the compositions are accented with sparse percussion and subtle analog electronics. The final track is possibly the finest example of Et Ret's talents. Using layers of violins and cellos, Et Ret creates a swooning, seductive tension. The final track captures the overall tone of the album - it feels like morning, like things are changing, and that's scary and good.