REVIEWS reviews...... sounds...... pictures...... words...... links...... info Ujamaa's Ambient Experience 9/98 (e-zine) http://www.susqu.edu/students/p/prindle/ The Apiary/Descent The Foundry FOU03 (USA), 1997 &laqno;&laqno;&laqno;&laqno; As the primary musical creative force within the artistic collective known as The Foundry, M Bentley opens up a new vista with The Apiary, whose Descent is the third release on the label. Drawn primarly from music composed for artist Charles Browning's installation, "What Are You Afraid Of?" Descent explores "the world of nature, the fear and the beauty." It is tempting to refer to much of this music as new age, but it lacks the in-your-face serenity that so often makes a mockery out of that genre. Rather, these pieces float through the consciousness in a somewhat disturbing way. Synthesizer melodies are puncuated by airy woodwind sounds and backed by layers of wind and whispers. Descent leads off with "The First Darkness," an 8-minute prelude featuring a trancey flute melody. The suite of pieces that follows, "Duot," is characterized by subtle, liquid percussion. The second suite, "Recalling the Other," features some of the best moments on the disc with its gently pulsing melodies and deep, windy drones. "Dreams of Ragnarok and Sisyphus" draws to a close the music for Browning's installation, with eerie voices whispering, "What are you afraid of?" The album concludes with a suite of newer pieces entitled "Repeat," featuring heavier dissonances and more structured constructions. With Descent, The Apiary proves that melodic, nature-inspired music does not have to be weighed down by syrupy sweetness or overbearing bombast. This is music that combines the best of the experimental and contemporary instrumental genres.