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Contemporary Instrumental Review: Hans Christian and Thomas Barquee-Meloydia

Release Date: August 1, 2024

Label: Allemande Music

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The musical team of Hans Christian and Thomas Barquee have released Meloydia.

 

Hans Christian's versatile skills on the cello, lap steel guitar, Sitara, psaltery, fretless bass, keyboards, and programming, combined with Thomas Barquee's mastery of piano and keyboards, promise a musical journey that is both diverse and expressive with emotion.

 

There is no track under five minutes so that you will get a panoramic and absorbing musical experience. As mentioned in the publicity notes, there's room to breathe in Meloydia, and the music speaks equally well during soft background listening and a focused listening session.

 

"The Gift" begins the recording. The track is very peaceful and precise. The instrumentation is excellent in portraying a gift for a listener, whatever that may be. It is reflective and sweet to engage the soul. The gift is the music itself, as its calming effect sets a tone you may anticipate throughout the rest of the listen. However, that is not the case.

 

"The Promise" is the most extended piece on the album at 8:22. The piano and keys enter the mix, playing off each other, and that pairing is beautiful. The cello comes in nicely to add another soothing layer of instrumentation. The pace picks up at about the halfway point, as the keys lead the way with an orchestration followed by a rhythmic piano. It goes from calming to cinematic with more energy. It circles back to the cello, and the orchestration returns to accentuate the piece. The entire composition sounds perfect for a scene in a movie.

 

"Persistence of Time" follows the energy of the previous track. A more upbeat introduction sets the atmosphere, then quickly changes to a more defined approach. The music moves like a person taking steps towards something with a purpose or how a river may flow before and after a hard rain. And even though there is that variation, its ambiance is quite lovely.

 

"Opalescence" begins with the Sitara, which sounds very Middle Eastern. The bass and percussion add an excellent rhythmic sense to the piece. It all sounds very world-new age and cinematic at the same time. It summons images of a faraway land, like a vast desert of silence in a never-before-visited territory. It creates a sense of wonder and the unknown.

 

"Your Heart Remains," based on the title, could make you feel that it would be a very reflective composition. It begins as such and then changes a bit with more colorful instrumentation added to get your attention and focus so you can hear what may happen next. The lap steel makes its presence known, adding a flavor you had not experienced up to this point. The longing you feel with that sound, a country bluesy effect, pulls at your heartstrings as the artists intended.

 

"That One Thing" starts with the piano leading off, and the cello comes along to create a layer that cries out like the cello always does. Once again, the lap steel gives the piece a feeling far off the horizon. As the cello cries out, the lap steel answers with sadness. The track picks up the pace as an acoustic guitar starts strumming, like a horse galloping to keep up. I like the lap steel addition even more in this track as it is more poignant. As the track gets about three-quarters of the way through, the cello returns and all the other instruments intermingle for a combined sound, which makes it one of the highlights of the listen so far. Excellent!

 

As the title indicates, "Do We Remember" would need to be more cerebral. A combination of instruments joins in with some orchestrations from programming that add another layer of atmosphere. Once again, the Sitara gives the composition more color and flavor because it stands out with its unique tone and is placed well in the piece. I enjoyed this music's shifting sounds and paces, which kept my interest going from beginning to end.

 

"An Echo's Soul" is a title that sounds profound and meaningful. It comes in at precisely five minutes to close out the recording. The subdued mood and color give you time to focus on the sounds and frequencies, so it would be apparent to hear your soul echo feelings and translate them into something lucid. It will be meaningful for those who can use music to relax totally or meditate. Either way, it is very effective as the bass and keys are beautiful and soft, like a billowing cloud passing by on a clear blue sky. It takes you away and removes you from one train of thought to another.

 

This recording is called Meloydia for a reason, and once you listen, you will understand why.

 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Founder

July 20, 2024

Tracks:

1. The Gift (7:45) 

2. The Promise (8:22) 

3. Persistence of Time (6:13)

4. Opalescence (6:15) 

5. Your Heart Remains (5:20) 

6. That One Thing (6:40)

7. Do We Remember (5:43) 

8. An Echo’s Soul (5:00


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