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CD
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TYPE 052CD
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Croydon, UK three-piece Rameses III have been busy proving to the wider world that there's more to their hometown than dubstep with their deep and original take on ambient music. In that time, Daniel Freeman (keyboards, processing), Spencer Grady (guitars, noises) and Stephen Lewis (guitars, percussion) have notched up a number of releases for Important Records, Digitalis and of course Type Records, but it is with this latest opus that they truly leave their mark on the faded musical landscape. I Could Not Love You More is a record that reframes their sound, taking their drifting ambience and pastoral folk and sharpening it at every opportunity. You can hear echoes of Takoma in Lewis' delicate acoustic guitar playing, shadows of early 4AD in the shimmering drones, and all this is wrapped up in an Eno-esque sense of restraint. It sounds almost as if the pieces were written for the mid-20th century, with sounds coming from electric pianos, Mellotrons and guitars rather than heavy electronic processes. We end up with a warming blur of sound, something far removed from the chatter of zeroes and ones we have become accustomed to. As the album drifts from beginning to end, there is a delicate yet defined narrative, enhanced by the inclusion of subtle field recordings and just the right amount of silence. The tracks lull us forward and send us into a state of nostalgic reminiscence, which is, in essence, the theme which balances the album. I Could Not Love You More is simply a gorgeous reflection -- exactly what it reflects upon is left up to the listeners themselves. Who would have thought the mean streets of South London could produce such beautiful music?
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2CD
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IMPREC 178CD
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"Basilica is Rameses III's eagerly anticipated follow-up to their acclaimed releases Honey Rose (Important), Matanuska (Music Fellowship) and Night Of The Ankou (Type). Basilica is a double album of live recordings of new Rameses material accompanied by re-interpretations of those same recordings by contemporaries Robert Horton, Keith Berry, Gregg Kowalsky and Astral Social Club. Each artist approached to contribute to the Basilica disc was given free range to experiment with the live files, to re-invent and re-interpret the recordings as they saw fit. Minimalist sound-sculptor Keith Berry rolled out the slow-motion waterfalls of Basilica and gave the album an early focus and provided inspiration for the glacial artwork. Gregg Kowalsky played the 'Rose Blood' remix as part of his own performance at the OVERLAP 02 event in San Francisco using its tuned sinewave oscillators, cassette tapes and loops to induce, to quote the man himself, 'a psychoacoustic listening experience.' Our subtle textures were pushed way into the red when noise veteran Neil Campbell sandblasted the original tracks into the howling mirror of Astral Social Club. His 'Tigers In The Snake Pit' was remixed live in the very same venue in which it was originally performed and finessed with some post-performance layering. And Robert Horton was open-minded and kind enough to allow Rameses III to remix his remix, leading to the gentle trumpet curlicues and electronic birdsong entwining the original drone of 'After The Red Rose.' Although Basilica was originally envisioned as a single disc album, once the remixes were complete, it slowly became evident that they should be paired with a disc of live recordings in order to put the Basilica disc into context. In contrast to the heavily-produced and painstakingly-constructed Rameses studio albums, all five of the previously-unreleased tracks on the 'Origins' disc were recorded directly to stereo at various venues around London. As such, they fully represent those moments in performance where the trio strive to make the most beautiful music they can."
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CD EP
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IMPREC 126CD
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"Rameses III are architects of the most beautiful swathes of blissful ambience whose releases have previously found homes on labels like Celebrate Psi Phenomenon, Music Fellowship, Scarcelight, MYMWLY, Barl Fire and Type. On Honey Rose, the group's first release for Important, the South London trio build a bucolic soundtrack to Jon Spira's mysterious short film Suityman. Whilst the influence of Bruce Langhorne, Boxhead Ensemble and much of the 4AD roster can be keenly felt on this six song EP, so too can the wondrous drone narratives that are such a feature of Rameses III's previous works. More structured and melodious then much of their output, Honey Rose is the perfect place for a newcomer to begin exploring the music of one of the finest purveyors of ambient drone operating in music today."
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