Annemarie Borg “In Nomine Tellus” CD
After self-released “In Nomine Cetus” CD (June 2014 on Antara Project), French/Swedish soundpainter (poet, lyricist, singer, environmentalist, educator…) Annemarie Borg, based in London, returns with the second part of the trilogy, entitled “In Nomine Tellus” and released on Swedish gterma label during February 2018. The album is packaged in catchy 6-panel disc eco wallet featuring panoramic photography and visual art by the artist herself with the additional design by gterma’s Johan Rehn. The mastering credit, as usual with all gterma releases, goes to A.P of Ghost Sounds.
As described in the liner notes, “In Nomine Tellus” is a Tone Poem of our time in three parts. 8-plus minutes long “Quiet Storm Phase One” and 17-minute “Earth Lament” comprise the first part. Intangibly desolate drone rumbles coalesce with poignantly crescendoing and meandering cinematic piquancy before inconspicuously transmuting into monochromatically gargantuan hums softened by tiding organic tapestries. Balmily enveloping, yet monumentally majestic! Thus the title “Quiet Storm Phase One” is precisely displayed. Whale sounds and roars, field recordings, noises and Annemarie’s expressive chants announce “Earth Lament”, while backed by quietly droning expansive horizons. Stringed anxiousness arise here and there. After 8 minutes the scenario shifts into profoundly embracing orchestral sadness, which later metamorphoses into slightly calmer sceneries juxtaposed by persistently craving cascades. A very powerful sonic statement indeed! Second part counts three compositions, “Quiet Storm Phase Two”, “Masau’u” and “Avahana Timi”. The first one, “Quiet Storm Phase Two” keeps on rather tranquil route, although pervaded by gently escalating feel before evanescing through helixing quietudes. 16 minutes long “Masau’u” immerses the listener into contemplatively gliding panoptic realms meticulously reinforced by Annemarie’s exquisite vocal artistry. Aural nectar is served here!!! “Avahana Timi” amalgamates perplexing grumbles, whale calls and seashore symphony with Annemarie chanting Gayatri Mantra. The closing part includes two tracks, “Quiet Storm Phase Three” and “Pace”. Emotive yearning motifs of “Quiet Storm Phase Three” delve into unfathomable depths, while sinuous patterns keep on illuminating and seek for the vestige of guidance. The closing composition “Pace” brings to the stage cello mastery of Patrick Tapio Johnson, who has already contributed to Annemarie’s album “Iridescent Perceptions” (2012). Weeping cello curtains gorgeously commingle with evocative piano notes and tranquilly embracing location recordings. A very touching epilogue, where mournful vistas are opposed by captivating blankets of hope…
Although deep listening sessions unveiled several, mostly inaudible, glitch errors on “Earth Lament”, the sound quality is for sure satisfying and especially the use of quality headphones offers a fully rewarding journey. Nearly 75 minutes long “In Nomine Tellus” is a really strong album, hauntingly sonorous and immensely engrossing. And just the same as with its predecessor “In Nomine Cetus”, this sonic installment manifests intense messages for all of us, the whole mankind about the future of our Earth. It’s a global issue, it’s still not too late, but the countdown is certainly on… That’s “In Nomine Tellus” by Annemarie Borg, feel free to explore it, enjoy it, contribute and make the difference!!!
Richard Gürtler (Nov 21, 2018, Bratislava, Slovakia)
IN NOMINE CETUS released in June 2014
Review by RICHARD GURTLER
Annemarie Borg “In Nomine Cetus” CD
Annemarie Borg, born in Paris with French/Swedish background and based in London, is the main protagonist and founder behind Antara Project focusing on strong connection between various artistic languages and the world we live in. Annemarie’s musical explorations cover a quite eclectic range of terrains, stretching from poetry/modern classical through environmentally infused euphonies to deep drone reflections. For the first time I came across Annemarie’s name around 2010 on richly flavored collaborative project Thamnos “WIR”, which featured also Tomas Weiss, but this is a closed chapter. “In Nomine Cetus” CD, self-released during June 2014, is, I believe, 5th album by Annemarie Borg, including above mentioned Thamnos and “Breaking Through” compilation presenting tracks, collaborations, poetry and visuals by various artists such as Bruno Sanfilippo, Aes Dana, Nicolas Meier, Marc Yeats, Ann Schmitz, Keith Farnish, Philip Wells and others. The other two are “Secrets”, a classically orchestrated collaboration with John Wilson (2003) and first solo album by Annemarie, ambient/drone/contemporary driven “Iridescent Perceptions”, released at the end of 2012. Back to “In Nomine Cetus”, as mentioned in the liner notes, the album is dedicated to all Cetaceans across the oceans and the Island of Hawaii.
“Clamo Oceanus” reveals this fascinating odyssey with deeply submerging dronescape, enhanced by assorted whale sounds ranging from eerily emerging to transcendentally shrilling, while continuously guarded by Annemarie’s moaning voice magics and surrounded by soothing sounds of ocean waves. Graciously immense cover images of 4-panel disc eco wallet (pictures and artwork by Annemarie) closely interweave with symphoniously encircling faint underwater zones. 13-minute “Closer In The Distance” safely cruises through magnificently graceful horizons, hauntingly colored with natural subtleties, deeply evocative voices and bioacoustics, and serenely nuanced epic climaxes. Colossally majestic masterpiece!!! “Lacrime” is filled with orchestral sadness, cautiously meandering and crescendoing through touchingly elegiac expressions. No wonder, this composition brings into the spotlight Japan’s controversial annual dolphin slaughter, which begins in the infamous town of Taiji in September and lasts until the end of February.”L’Adieu Au Jour” dives deeper into the unfathomable depths, where massively monochromatic drifts are bridged with intangible voice-like drones and diverse repertoire of singing Cetaceans. Fascinatingly intense and monumental, before inconspicuously transmuting into warmly cinematic and captivatingly expansive realms melted with some hazy piano fragments and pierced with additional underwater dissonances. This might be the pinnacle of the whole album, a truly magnificent listening experience!!! It’s a pity here and there the track is permeated by some unwanted hiss. “Miserere” unfolds with bizarrely circling industrial-like breaths, which are later shifted slightly to the back and the center stage is invaded by ethereal voices. But still the interactions between the voices and rumblings are absolutely stunning, strikingly contrasting, yet aurally symmetrical and deeply mesmerizing!!! The next piece, “Kealakekua Bay”, Annemarie dedicates to her Hawaiian friends and it pays tribute to the natural beauties of this treasured coastline (Kona coast, Hawaii), where the coral reefs slope gorgeously from the shore into the water. Tranquilly floating and cascading with perplexing whisperings and whale sounds, balsamic sea recordings and all subtly wrapped by orchestral drama delicacy. I should add that all whale sounds on this album are used, altered and edited with kind permission from Whale Songs by iWhales.”Cantiques Des Etoiles – Antares” closes this journey with distinguishably sculpted chants and wistful drones. Annemarie’s chants are truly mindscaping, at times nearly crumbled when listening on my headphones, I even thought it was a sound issue, but this might be all intentional. Evocative, spellbinding and most of all powerfully transcendental!!!
“In Nomine Cetus” takes the listener to some of the most beautiful and majestic aquatic sceneries, but unfortunately also to some sorrowful ones. It certainly deserves to be explored and supported, because Annemarie Borg is deeply focused and utterly talented composer and singer. “In Nomine Cetus” is made from the heart!!! My only complain is the soundquality, the overall sound is a bit flat to my taste plus some extraneous hissing sounds need to be removed. Otherwise, bravo, Annemarie, keep on creative soundsculpting and I really look forward to your future projects!!! By the way, a new album is planned for spring 2015…
Richard Gürtler (Oct 15, 2014, Bratislava, Slovakia)
Diva Contemporary Interview Annemarie Borg and Marc Yeats
New compilation Breaking Through
As part of the Antara Project, nine composers take a different look at our world today.
London, the 15th of April 2013 – This compilation “Breaking Through” is the product of an international collaboration of Artists.
A community and a philosophy, Antara was created in England by Annemarie Borg. It brings together the original music of nine Composers
and works of art, poems, and contributions of international Artists, Poets, Writers and Ecologists. Antara brings a fresh perspective on
the meaning and place of creativity, and stresses the importance of reconnecting with Nature as an expression of personal responsibility…
