Search - Shpongle :: Tales of the Inexpressible

Multi-genre, mind-expanding, magical music

Nathan Trantham | 03/14/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tales of the Inexpressible is not for listeners with narrow tastes or a close mind. In this album, Shpongle demonstrates that no matter how diverse your musical influences are, that with careful thought, these influences can be melded together to create an entirely unique genre. Tales of the Inexpressible accomplishes this using a wide variety of sound producing techniques, from purely electronic sounds, to synthesized samples of voice and other recordings, to studio-recorded flute and percussion. In this way, Shpongle carries on Stockhausen's tradition of combining multiple styles of technosonic music, but with a modern day twist.

In addition to mixing up the way in which Shpongle produces their music, the style and genre they create is consistently changing. This is not a concept album, so every song is a stand-alone entity, but even within each song the sound may change as much as ten or more times. In my opinion, this is one of the key attributes that make this album so great. So many transitions could be a recipe for disaster, but Tales of the Inexpressible seamlessly evolves from one genre to the next--transporting your mind along with each movement. One minute you may be enjoying the sounds of African drumming, and the next, flamenco guitar. It is truly remarkable how Shpongle can juxtapose such distant genres leaving the listener pleased, not confused about the drastic change in sound.

While the album may go from the sounds of Peruvian flute to classical Indian sitar, the glue that holds Tales of the Inexpressible together is its psychedelic theme. If I had to come up with one name for the genre of this album I would call it "psychedelic..." with the ellipsis meaning "fill in the blank." Throughout all of the transitions and styles of music, the psychedelic feel is omnipresent. This ranges from very little modulation, as in a light echo effect, to very heavily synthesized sounds that are sure to stimulate the "far out" regions of your brain. In addition to how the sound is synthesized, Tales of the Inexpressible has features such as sentences read backwards, tribal chanting, and "alien" noises that all attribute to its trippy nature. When I read more about Shpongle's background, I learned that Goa Gill was one of their large influences. On one site, Shpongle's self-proclaimed genre is Goa Trance. This album definitely exhibits influences from Goa Gill with its psychedelic theme and native Indian sound.

Tales of the Inexpressible has long songs, sometimes around or over ten minutes, but Shpongle does an incredible job of keeping my interest piqued through its rich timbres and sonic environments. I have already described how this album transitions from genre to genre, but its timbre changes just as frequently. The density in the layers of sound is consistently changing from very little to so many you cannot distinguish all of them. This gives a very dynamic texture to the album, which in turn presents a multitude of sonic environments, with each environment deliberately evoking a different emotion. Somber, trippy, and playful are just some of the words I would use to describe the environments created with each unique texture.

I would highly recommend Tales of the Inexpressible to any person who loves psychedelic, trance, flute, and goa music, or is not afraid to step out of their music comfort zones. This album could never make it in the "mainstream," but for those who like this style of music will find themselves thoroughly pleased with it. Brace yourself for a multitude of sounds, and if you like what you hear I also suggest checking out the "Nothing Lasts" album by Shpongle as well.

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Stimulating...Mysticism

R. Shepard | Rocklin,Ca | 06/04/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having acquired a real genuine sense of appreciation for world ambient style of music very recently over the last few years....THIS Cd hits direct to the core of impaction...which has the power to move feelings and influence thinking....it is unique to the very unusual and will probably sound objectionable to so very few....

The fluent flow of exotic ambient tonal rhythms and beats will relax and transcend the listener to a new level of sound listening that has not been rivaled in my time.

You absolutely MUST purchase this Cd and be prepared to travel with psychogenic plaudit."