Review #2 - Here is another review from one of the UK's premier Chillout DJs, Ian Taylor or 'Ian of the Liquid Lounge' as he is known there:
Terra Nine – Heart of the Matter EP (Iboga Records)
There's a new EP from the New Zealander known as Terra Nine, called "Heart of the Matter" and this rather exceptional 5 tracker explores a slightly more chillgressive approach to his last output...The tracks themselves have been aired at many a European festival this summer, tried and tested to audiences from the UK to Hungary and I for one was able witness to what these tracks sound like in a live environment, they had me and countless others grooving and totally immersed in the frequencies, as they work so well...
"Waveforms out the Window" is a brooding number with a deep and solid kick drum, floating pads amongst an almost growling bass stab that grabs your ears but is soothed by the meandering viola... a haunting sound that evokes a mythical sun rise. Terra Nine is a master with this stringed instrument and this track only confirms his vision as he teases you with its character.
"Present Moment" evokes memories of Robin Rimbaud aka Scanner and his tracks from the 90's, with the way the samples drift in and out with the low but firm rhythm and almost ethereal frequencies. The viola is used with good effect to add more atmospherics and depth to the track. You can hear the story of the track play out to its final conclusion, while you imagine the cast in your head.
The title track, "Heart of The Matter" begins with the plucked strings of the viola, a solid, firm beat and some glitchy touches, that pave the way for what is to follow...a highly infectious, almost acidic bass line, that pulls you in and gets the feet tapping in appreciation. Delicate string arrangements allow this track to move forward and take the listener through the narrative, to "wake up" and to meet "the guru" - to become one and enlightened - which this mini opus does so well - finally informing you that "you are the angel" you’ve been looking for.
"One Da Da Da" starts with a pulsating bass line, syncopated percussion and sweeping pads that invite the listener to delve deeper within, to discover the 'great energy' before the delicate piano stabs deliver the hook, the vocal sample narrates while the piano keeps the track flowing, with Terra Nine occasionally teasing with his musical weapon of choice, his viola.
"Flying" starts gently, the viola again taking the lead, ghosting in and out, enticing the listener before the pads slip in and the soft rhythm adds a subtle tempo until the underlying bass line begins to come to the fore... and the full effect of the percussive arrangement takes the lead. The ghosting continues with a vocal like pad trickling in and adding another dimension, taking the lead and expanding the track further.
All in all, Terra Nine has produced an EP of outstanding quality, the diversity within the EP which shows a level of maturity and knowledge that only someone of his calibre can demonstrate and produce. There are touches of genius and swathes of compelling brilliance that will certainly attract new listeners and those that have heard these tracks over the summer will definitely recognise and appreciate. This is a beautiful collection of productions, full of colour and atmosphere and one that the listener will fully respect and admire.
Iboga have a great release on their hands and Terra Nine has excelled, in my opinion, with this EP."
Ian (Liquid Lounge)
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Terra Nine / Blog
Homeward Bound after Awesome 2017 European Tour
Hi all - Terranine Mike here - Today I am heading back to NZ after a truly awesome 2017 Terra Nine tour of Europe that started with Triplicity in and Downtime in the UK then went on to Antaris in Germany, Shankra in Switzerland, Samsara in Hungary and Hadra Festival in France. My partner VJ Intelliki is hard at work on some new Terra Nine music videos - including one for the new Terra Nine track, 'Metatron' out now on the brand new Hadra Trance Festival double VA (http://www.hadra.net/shop/new/product.php?id_product=2391 ) and I am back to the home studio to polish and finish all the new tracks for the next Terra Nine EP due out early 2018 on Iboga Chill and also finishing the new Sirius Music album (our prog trance project) - out very shortly on Ovnimoon Records. Then we will be off on a new Southern Hemisphere touring schedule that will take in shows in NZ and Australia - starting with support for Gaudi and Deep Forest in Auckland and taking in AUM NYE Psy Fest, Rainbow Serpent ( I hope) Dimension Psy Fest and Resonance Fest. We will then be off to a good start for 2018... OK that's all for now. Big Love, Mike
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TERRA NINE EP - HEART OF THE MATTER - IBOGA RECORDS - REVIEW #3
Review #3 - Pete Ardron - composer/producer for Orchid Star / remixer producer for Afro Celt Sound System:
Mike Westcot’s heavily effected electric viola, bowed or plucked, is one of the most unique and instantly recognizable sounds in psychedelic music. I’ve long been a big fan of his music – perhaps not every track, but the vast majority of it – and this EP is a very worthy addition to his catalogue. There’s a beautifully atmospheric, 3D feel to the production and mood of the first, and shortest, track, Waveforms out the Window - light, airy, spacious and pretty on top, offset by deliciously grungy cyborg synth basses, while a soft, gentle, continuous pad sits in the background like a mother watching over her kids playing. We’re off to a quality start.
Present Moment has a very simple, no-nonsense, retro-electro drum beat, seemingly saying, ‘Ignore me, I’m just doing my job’ (which you do and it does) and a slow descending bassline giving it an overall melancholy feel. But pizzicato viola and lo-fi echoey spoken voices give the first half a quirky humour that gives way to lush washes of sound as fingers are replaced by the bow. I do wonder if (spoiler alert) the sudden unexpected harmony change that doesn’t come in until a minute before the end (of what is a long track) couldn’t have been brought in earlier. It’s such a gorgeous, joyous lift when it happens and I just wanted more of it! The title track, Heart of the Matter starts off in a deceptively understated manner - playful but solid – tablas perfectly complimenting the pizzicato viola - but quite restrained and polite. Then 3 minutes in it throws open the windows and rips its shirt off – powerful, oodles of atmospheric spaciness, Indian scales and beautifully chosen and timed spoken soundbites, all gleefully peppered with drop-downs just for an excuse to give you a slap when it comes back in! I have reservations about the rather loud piano that comes in a couple of times but other than that the sounds here, especially what I’m guessing is wah-wahed viola, are (and I’ve sat here for couple of minutes trying to think of the right word) gripping! This is not a track that will let you ignore it. One Da Da Da is, for me at least, easily the most impressive and original track here, especially in terms of production. It is intense throughout – takes risks and pulls them off, especially with some big, scary, multi-textured builds that pull back just at the brink. Repeated patterns on different instruments combine to give an almost Reichian, minimalist element in places. And the bass is great! Its journey has the feel of an unplanned adventure – ever-present 7ths give the first 3 minutes a constant sense of tension, then it takes a short, relaxing break on the beach before jumping onto the side of a moving train... etc. It’s a superbly executed bit of production which still feels like it did its own thing rather than getting thought about. Powerful stuff! I will admit to feeling a little robbed by the last track, Flying, but I think that’s because when the hooky melody comes in at the end it’s on a vocal pad sound and I really wanted Mike’s viola to be the thing that led my journey to its conclusion, and it takes more of a back seat in this track. That aside, this is another great track – the combination of housey bass and hats with dubby kick and snare (meticulously echoed) giving it a sense of laid-back urgency ... A good ending, even if I did miss saying a proper goodbye to the viola! I’ve never been much good at genres but this is certainly more than just psychill, though it will certainly appeal to a psychill or other psychedelic audience. It has its chilled moments but this is punchy, dynamic and exciting stuff, and the quality and individuality of the production only go to emphasize the fact that Mike is much more than just a pretty viola!
Pete Ardron / Orchid Star/ AfroCelt Sound System - Dec 2016
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TERRA NINE EP - HEART OF THE MATTER - IBOGA RECORDS - REVIEW #2
Review #2 - Here is another review from one of the UK's premier Chillout DJs, Ian Taylor or 'Ian of the Liquid Lounge' as he is known there:
Terra Nine – Heart of the Matter EP (Iboga Records)
There's a new EP from the New Zealander known as Terra Nine, called "Heart of the Matter" and this rather exceptional 5 tracker explores a slightly more chillgressive approach to his last output...The tracks themselves have been aired at many a European festival this summer, tried and tested to audiences from the UK to Hungary and I for one was able witness to what these tracks sound like in a live environment, they had me and countless others grooving and totally immersed in the frequencies, as they work so well... "Waveforms out the Window" is a brooding number with a deep and solid kick drum, floating pads amongst an almost growling bass stab that grabs your ears but is soothed by the meandering viola... a haunting sound that evokes a mythical sun rise. Terra Nine is a master with this stringed instrument and this track only confirms his vision as he teases you with its character.
"Present Moment" evokes memories of Robin Rimbaud aka Scanner and his tracks from the 90's, with the way the samples drift in and out with the low but firm rhythm and almost ethereal frequencies. The viola is used with good effect to add more atmospherics and depth to the track. You can hear the story of the track play out to its final conclusion, while you imagine the cast in your head.
The title track, "Heart of The Matter" begins with the plucked strings of the viola, a solid, firm beat and some glitchy touches, that pave the way for what is to follow...a highly infectious, almost acidic bass line, that pulls you in and gets the feet tapping in appreciation. Delicate string arrangements allow this track to move forward and take the listener through the narrative, to "wake up" and to meet "the guru" - to become one and enlightened - which this mini opus does so well - finally informing you that "you are the angel" you’ve been looking for.
"One Da Da Da" starts with a pulsating bass line, syncopated percussion and sweeping pads that invite the listener to delve deeper within, to discover the 'great energy' before the delicate piano stabs deliver the hook, the vocal sample narrates while the piano keeps the track flowing, with Terra Nine occasionally teasing with his musical weapon of choice, his viola.
"Flying" starts gently, the viola again taking the lead, ghosting in and out, enticing the listener before the pads slip in and the soft rhythm adds a subtle tempo until the underlying bass line begins to come to the fore... and the full effect of the percussive arrangement takes the lead. The ghosting continues with a vocal like pad trickling in and adding another dimension, taking the lead and expanding the track further.
All in all, Terra Nine has produced an EP of outstanding quality, the diversity within the EP which shows a level of maturity and knowledge that only someone of his calibre can demonstrate and produce. There are touches of genius and swathes of compelling brilliance that will certainly attract new listeners and those that have heard these tracks over the summer will definitely recognise and appreciate. This is a beautiful collection of productions, full of colour and atmosphere and one that the listener will fully respect and admire.
Iboga have a great release on their hands and Terra Nine has excelled, in my opinion, with this EP."
Ian (Liquid Lounge)
Reply
TERRA NINE EP - HEART OF THE MATTER - IBOGA RECORDS - REVIEW #1
Review #1: Here is a review of the new EP from Baz Bardoe who writes for Australian Musician Magazine:
"Terra Nine's early album 'Strange Craft' has consistently occupied my Top Ten electronic albums list alongside esteemed company such as Cluster, Tangerine Dream, FSOL and Klaus Schulze. It was in every regard a perfect album, and testimony to its creator's truly extraordinary abilities.
Now Terra Nine (aka Mike Westcot) returns with a new release 'Heart of the Matter' and the good news for fans of his work is that it delivers in every regard. Mike Westcot stands apart from the hordes of people making electronic music with computers and sample libraries because he is not just a technician - he is a real musician who blends his considerable talent as a violinist with lush electronic sounds. The result is a dense and evocative landscape of the imagination that is consistently engaging. 'Heart of the Matter' is a fine addition to one of the best electronic music back catalogues out there. Sublime.......beautiful.....accomplished......he is an artist in the fullest sense of the term. Another outstanding release from an artist who continues to set the bar higher than pretty much anyone else out there. Buy it. Now."
- Baz Bardoe, Australian Musician Magazine, 21/12/2016.
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NEW TERRA NINE EP - HEART OF THE MATTER - OUT ON IBOGA RECORDS - JAN 9th 2017
The latest EP from New Zealand producer, Terra Nine - called ‘Heart of the Matter’ - features 5 exceptional new tunes with psychedelic downtempo and dub / breaks flavours - providing a journey into new musical territory full of grooving frequencies - glitchy, yet melodic, with each track telling a unique story - redolent with colour, atmosphere and emotion.
Link to the new EP on Iboga Records Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ibogarecords/sets/terra-nine-heart-of-the-matter
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European Tour 2016
afely back in Serres, France ~ our second home ;) Currently reflecting on a super mindblowing tour of the UK, Hungary, Germany and back to Hungary (Triplicity, Dream Eaters, Samsara, Antaris and S.U.N.) that ended on the Chill Stage at S.U.N. Festival in Hungary. Many thanks to everyone at all these festivals ~ who made us feel so welcomed and looked after us every day with so much love and care
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