Netherlands keyboardist, sound artist and composer Michel Banabila's work is explored through 14 recent projects in different configurations with 10 collaborators including guitarist Anton Goudsmit, violinist Oene van Geel, clarinetist Gareth Davis, cellist Peter Hollo, &c.; beautifully dramatic works of great depth and texture with rich and often haunting melodies.
"Hidden Patterns is another compilation of Michel Banabila's recent work, dating back to 2008, and including more collaborations and music from film soundtracks. The whole release actually has a very cinematic feel, with poignant acoustic melodies which seem like they're underpinning pivotal scenes of self-discovery and realization.
It starts out with two brief solo pieces which are ethereal, piano-based, and if not ominous, then at least beckoning things to come. Oene van Geel's violin gives several other pieces a strong sense of longing, and Anton Goudsmit's guitar playing on the version of "Ears Tell Us Where We Are in Space" brings the sound closer to ECM-style jazz.
"Secunde (CJD Remix)" is a 13-minute epic with murmuring voices and an acoustic bass line which resembled oar strokes pushing a boat down a canal. "Sounds from an Unforgettable Place 1" has more disruptive electronic beats stamping and rattling away, along with haunting vocals. A few other following tracks incorporate sounds that may or may not be vocals of some sort, be they synthetic or manipulated, making it seem like the machines and instruments are speaking.
Finally, "One Moment in Time" is another lengthy, peaceful gondola drift filled with subtle murmurs, resonant guitar strums, and slowly blossoming synth swells."-Paul Simpson