Orchestra Dim Bridges

Upon first breath of air in the morning, the opening notes of "Horizon,” with its light strum of a guitar and breezy beats, seem to be a perfect complement to both the vista and the early dawn mood. But violinist Kang and electro manipulator Martine are not ready for Lemon Jelly comparisons, and Orchestra Dim Bridges brims with original ideas, leading to a less cohesive album, but nonetheless one that never tires in its inventiveness. Two forms that tend to pop up on multiple tracks are experiments in a free jazz vein, seen most prominently in the scattershot drums and scraping violin flourishes in "Braille Oscuro,” and ambient tracks, like "The Echoing Green,” which bring to mind a vocal-less Múm. There is definitely an aim to bring together these genres through the scope of the "classical” violin and "modern” sound manipulation, and while the tracks are short enough to keep things tight, some experiments don’t seem to make an impact. Of course, some tracks work wonderfully like "Elegy Elegie,” which, befitting its name, is a mournful track with Kang’s clear violin echoing out over repeated snippets of white noise. It is there where the collaboration between Kang, Martine and their respective instruments truly hits upon a nerve and where hopefully more inspirations lie for the future.