The first new releases of 2010 from the Russian label RAIG have begun to trickle in, and included in the first batch is the studio swansong from the brilliant experimental / post-rock Russian band Bosch's With You. This release entitled Wired Promise To Be is unfortunately a bitter sweet one as it contains the final performances of Bosch leader Dima T. Pilot who passed away unexpectedly just after these recordings were completed in the spring of 2009.
I'll be damned if this all instrumental effort didn't reach right in and grab a hold of my heart strings straight from the onset. The absolutely gorgeous and layered guitar melodies of the first track "Caught Inside" immediately enthralled me as the composition slowly unfolded in a swirling haze of dual guitar interplay between Pilot and second guitarist A.B. No sooner had the final notes died out before the next richly textured gem "St. Michael's Seed" was quickly upon me. If there's one thing that I've always admired about this quartet it's their unique ability to construct mystical, aural landscapes that root themselves deep into the listener's imagination. What also stands out is just how beautifully their songs flow into one another with such transparency. Their soaring melodies and catchy hooks for example on the nineteen minute show stopper "Hide and Seek To The Four Winds With Yourself" is so engaging you'll lose all track of time and space. The same can be said for the closing track "Metathesis" which is a sprawling and ever shifting twenty two minute epic that features more of those rich sounding, melancholic guitar atmospherics, only this time it's coupled with sparse flute textures and the odd bit of field recordings, which further expand the established ethereal qualities of this track.
Even though Wired Promise To Be effectively closes the chapter on what had to be one of Russia's most highly regarded acts on the independent scene, they leave us with no less than seventy glorious minutes containing some of the most thought provoking and ultimately, treasured music of their entire career. Although this album obviously wasn't originally intended to be a tribute to Dima T. Pilot, in the wake of his death it's difficult not to view it in this light. In that regard the wealth of music he left behind will never die, it will continue to inspire and honor the spirit of its creator.
Note: The first 100 copies of this limited 500 limited edition CD includes a second disc recorded live in Karkiv in the Ukraine in 2008. This four song bonus disc features live versions of three songs from Wired Promise To Be, "St. Michael's Seed", "Caught Inside" and "Metathesis" as well as "The Day of Wrath".
Track Listing
1) Caught Inside
2) St. Michael's Seed
3) Hide and Seek To The Four Winds With Yourself
4) Molecular Ensemble
5) Metathesis
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