- Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells 06:24
- Ceiliúradh Mhór 03:12
- Winter Winds Across the Heartland 05:01
- Spirit of the Season 04:34
- Carillon et le Champagne 12:52
- Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (prologue) 06:52
- Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (reprise) 04:42
- Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery (remastered) (bonus) 07:56
Everyone has their favorite holiday music memories. I grew up with my parent’s collection of ‘60s holiday albums which we would stack on the turntable and play over and over from Thanksgiving to the end of the year.
Voices, choirs, organs, pianos, and bells. Music that immediately brings back those memories of family reunions, decorations, and food when I listen to it now.
Since that time, few holiday recordings have affected me in the same way, except for one; a now out-of-print holiday themed CD by the pioneering digital label Second Hearing that features recordings of a Regina Music Box, English handbells, choirs, organs, and pianos. This CD (and certain CDs by Vince Guaraldi or Mannheim Steamroller) best represent my family holiday soundtrack now.
Much of that holiday sound has subtly crept into the sound of Sensitive Chaos, though disguised and downplayed. But for live performances during the holiday season, all the stops come out and I dive headlong into making modern, electronic holiday music. This CD is a sampling of some of the best of recent holiday live recordings, improvised at festive gatherings with the intent of provoking some of the same memories that my favorite holiday CDs bring to me. I hope the tunes and sounds ring true!
All songs produced, mixed, edited, and mastered by Jim Combs at Common Sound Studio in June / July 2011.
Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells Suite was recorded live at City Skies / Kavarna on December 5, 2009.
Ceiliúradh Mhór, Winter Winds Across the Heartland, Spirit of the Season, and Carillon et le Champagne were recorded live during the Academe of the Oaks benefit auction, Old Decatur Courthouse on December 6, 2008.
Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery was originally released on the Leak album November 2006.
Awards : Nominated for the 2012 ZMR Music Awards Best Holiday Album and also qualified for Best Electronic Album. # 100 March 2012 ZMR Top 100 Airplay, # 33 February 2012 ZMR Top 100 Airplay, # 50 January 2012 ZMR Top 100 Airplay, and # 29 debut December 2011 ZMR Top 100 Airplay.
Airplay
Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells
Nominated for the 2012 ZMR Music Awards Best Holiday Album and also qualified for Best Electronic Album.
KSBR 88.5FM Morning Breeze show in Black Hawk, CO/Mission Viejo, CA played “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 23, 2023, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 17, 2023 and December 16, 2023, “Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery” on January 22, 2023, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” and “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 17, 2022, December 11, 2022, December 10, 2022, and December 4, 2022, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 3, 2022, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” and “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on November 27, 2022, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” and “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on November 26, 2022, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on November 20, 2022, November 19, 2022, November 13, 2022 and November 12, 2022, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” and “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on November 6, 2022, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on November 5, 2022, and October 23, 2022, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on October 22, 2022, “Ceiliúradh Mhór” on April 2, 2022, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on March 26, 2022, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on March 19, 2022, “Missing Viejo” on March 6, 2022. “Ceiliúradh Mhór” on December 25, 2021, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 19, 2021, December 18, 2021, December 12, 2021, and December 11, 2021, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on November 21, 2021, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on November 7, 2021, October 31, 2021, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on October 17, 2021 and October 2, 2021, “Ceiliúradh Mhór” on September 26, 2021, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on January 31, 2021 & January 30, 2020, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 27, 2020 and December 26, 2020, “Ceiliúradh Mhór” on November 29, 2020, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on November 28, 2020, November 7, 2020, September 13, 2020, “Spirit of the Season” on December 22, 2019 and December 14, 2019, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” and “Spirit of the Season” on December 7, 2019, “Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery” on November 30, 2019, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on November 24, 2019, and November 17, 2019, “Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery” on November 3, 2019, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on November 2, 2019, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on October 27, 2019, October 26, 2019, October 20, 2019, “Ceiliúradh Mhór” on October 5, 2019, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on September 22, 2019, “Ceiliúradh Mhór” on August 24, 2019, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on June 1, 2019, May 10, 2019, March 31, 2019, March 16, 2019, March 3, 2019, February 17, 2019, February 2, 2019, January 26, 2019, and January 13, 2019, “Spirit of the Season” on December 23, 2018, December 22, 2018, December 16, 2018, December 9, 2018 and December 8, 2018, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on November 24, 2018, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, & Bells” on November 18, 2018, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on November 10, 2018, November 4, 2018, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on October 6, 2018, December 23, 2017, and December 16, 2017, “Ceiliradh Mhor” on December 3, 2017, and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 2, 2017, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on November 25, 2017 and October 28, 2017, “Spirit of the Season” on November 18, 2017, “Spirit of the Season” and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 19, 2015, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 31, 2014, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on November 30, 2014 and November 2, 2014. “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells”, “Ceiliúradh Mhór” on December 25, 2013, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells”, “Ceiliúradh Mhór”, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland”, “Spirit of the Season”, “Carillon et le Champagne”, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)”, and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Reprise)” on December 23, 2012, the title track on December 16, 2012, a track on December 25, 2011, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells”, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland”, and “Spirit of the Season” on December 18, 2011, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells”, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland”, and “Ceiliúradh Mhór” on December 11, 2011, “Spirit of the Season” and “Carillon et le Champagne” on December 4, 2011. “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on November 13, 2011, “Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery (remastered)” on October 23, 2011, and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on October 9, 2011. The album will be in high rotation throughout the holiday season. #20 on the Top 20 for October 2011.
WFIT 89.5FM Future Echoes show in Melbourne, FL played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 3, 2023, “Spirit of the Season” on December 19, 2021 and December 15, 2019, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 8, 2019, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 23, 2018, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 16, 2018, December 17, 2017 and December 7, 2014, and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” and “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 4 , 2011.
WYSO 91.3FM Alpha Rhythms show in Yellow Springs, OH played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)” on December 25, 2022, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 19, 2021, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 20, 2020. “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 25, 2016, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells “on December 18, 2016,” Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells “on December 21, 2014, December 22, 2013 & December 23, 2012, and” Carillon et le Champagne “and” Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells “on December 25, 2011 and” Carillon et le Champagne “on December 18, 2011.
Echoes (NPR syndicated radio show on 130 stations in the US) included “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 20, 2022, December 25, 2020 (Maine Public Radio), December 12, 2018, December 20, 2017, December 19. 2016, and December 13, 2015 (Wordless Echoes Christmas Echoes – Part 2), and played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 23, 2014. “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 20, 2012 program ” 1251B “,” Ceiliúradh Mhór “on their December 25, 2011 and December 23, 2011 Christmas show” 1151E “, and” Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells “on their December 20, 2011 program” 1151B”.
KXFM 104.7FM Laguna Lounge show in Laguna Beach, CA played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 11, 2022 and December 19, 2021.
WHYR 96.9FM’s The Clearing radio show in Baton Rouge, LA played “Carillon et le Champagne” on December 25, 2021.
KBRP 96.1 FM The Luminous Chord show in Bisbee, AZ played “Little Drum Machine Boy” and “The Midnight Clear” on December 22, 2021
WWUH 91.3FM Synthesis show in West Hartford, CT played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on January 13, 2019, and the entire ‘Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells’ album on April 5, 2016.
WVKR 91.3FM Secret Music show in Poughkeepsie, NY played “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 23, 2018, “Spirit of the Season” on December 20, 2015, “Winter Winds Across The Heartland” on December 21, 2014, “Winds Across the Heartland” on December 22, 2013, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 23, 2012, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 11, 2011 and “Spirit of the Season” on December 4, 2011. The album Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells is #10 on the Top 20 for December 2011.
HFM Radio 102.3FM Night Hawke show in Market Harborough, South Leicestershire and North Northamptonshire, UK played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 22, 2018, December 16, 2017, December 12, 2015 and December 21, 2014. “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells”, and “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on January 28/29, 2012, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” and “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 18, 2011. Listed at #10 for Top 20 for December 2018.
KCBX 90FM Beyond The Fringe/Last Jazz Show in San Luis Obispo | 89.5 Santa Barbara | 91.7 Paso Robles to Salinas 90.9 Santa Ynez, Avila Beach, Cambria | 91.1 Cayucos | and 95.1 Lompoc played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)” on December 23, 2015, “Sprit of the Season” on December 25, 2012, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Reprise)” on April 24, 2012, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on April 3, 2012, “Remembering Chstnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)” on February 7, 2012, “Carillon et le Chamgagne” on January 17, 2012, “Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery” on December 27, 2011, and “Carillon et le Champagne” on November 22, 2011. #14 for March 2012, #4 for February 2012 and #12 for January 2012.
KZYX 90.7 & 91.5FM Iridium show in Mendocino County, CA played “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on October 14, 2015.
SomaFM Christmas Lounge played “Carillon et le Champagne” in medium/high rotation throughout the 2014 holiday through January 2015.
Radio Despi 107.1 FM La Otra Orilla show in Barcelona, Spain played the entire ‘Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells’ CD on January 5, 2014, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 17, 2012, “Spirit of the Season” on December 12, 2011, “Ceiliúradh Mhór” on November 28, 2011 and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on October 10, 2011.
WMSE 91.7FM Instrumental Saturdays with Mary Bartlein show in Milwaukee, WI played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 22, 2012 and December 17, 2011, “Carillon et le Champagne” on December 10, 2011, and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 3, 2011. #5 on the Top 20 for December 2011.
#18 for April 2012, #7 for March 2012, #2 for February 2012, and #4 for January 2012, #12 on KCPR Audioscapes for December 2011.
#100 on Zone Music Reporter Top 100 for March 2012, #34 on Zone Music Reporter Top 100 for February 2012, #50 on Zone Music Reporter Top 100 for January 2012, and #29 on Zone Music Reporter Top 100 for December 2011. #7, #28, and #33 Song and #8 Album on the Zone Music Reporter Playlist Spin Count for December 2011.
WWSP 90FM Ambient Aether show in Stevens Point, WI played “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on February 26, 2012, “Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery” on February 19, 2012, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on February 12, 2012, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)” on February 5, 2012, “Carillon et le Champagne” on January 22, 2012 and January 15, 2012, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on January 8, 2012, and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)” on January 1, 2012. #2 for February 2012 and #3 for January 2012.
CKUW 95.9FM Shades of Classics show in Winnepeg, Manitoba played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)” and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Reprise)” on February 5, 2012.
KCUR 89.3FM Night Tides show in Kansas City, MO played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells”, “Ceiliúradh Mhór”, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland”, “Spirit of the Season”, “Carillon et le Champagne”, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)”, and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Reprise)” on December 25, 2011.
KTEP 88.5 FM Audiosyncracy show in El Paso, TX played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on the December 25, 2011 show and December 21, 2011 podcast, “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 18, 2011, “Spirit of the Season” on December 11, 2011 and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 4, 2011. #4 on the Top 20 for December 2011.
WDIY 88.1FM Galactic Travels show in Bethlehem, PA played “Winter Winds Across the Heartland” on December 22, 2011.
WUTC 88.1FM Saturday Morning Sunrise show in Chattanooga, TN played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on December 3, 2011.
KDNK 88.1FM Carbondale, Colorado (88.3FM Aspen 88.5FM Basalt, Redstone 93.5FM Leadville 94.9FM Thomasville) added Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells on December 2, 2011 and has it in light rotation.
#17 on KKUP Neptune Currents for December 2011.
YLE Radio 1 Avaruusromua (Space Junk) Finnish Broadcasting Company radio played “Winter Winds Across the Heartland”, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)”, and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Reprise)” on November 20, 2011.
One World Radio added Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells. #14 on the top 20 for October 2011.
KUAC 89.9FM Nightlight show in Fairbanks, AK played “Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery (remastered)” on November 20, 2011, and “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on October 9, 2011.
WMUH 91.7FM Thought Radio show in Allentown, PA played “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” on October 1, 2011.
Astreaux World added Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells.
Press
BILL BINKELMAN, ZONE MUSIC REPORTER, NOVEMBER 27, 2011
Over the years I have reviewed some unconventional holiday music releases, but Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells by Jim Combs, aka Sensitive Chaos, is likely the most unconventional one yet. Combs is an electronic music artist well-known for his affiliation with the City Skies concert series. Rather than take the “safe” route and merely use his arsenal of synthesizers to record the classics, Combs has instead created seasonal soundscapes that, through his choice of synthesizer sounds, captures the festive magic of this special time of year. In his liner notes, Combs recalls listening to holiday records with his family growing up, with music made up of bells, organs, pianos, and choirs. He also recounts being deeply affected by a holiday recording on the pioneering digital label Second Hearing. All of the myriad influences have culminated in this unique combination of lively electronic pieces, punctuated by twinkling bell tones, crystalline textures, and syncopated rhythms, the latter of which may call to mind wooden soldiers marching round the Christmas tree. Besides the cheery selections on the CD, which I found to be charming and refreshingly light-hearted, there is a well-done ambient number, Winter Winds Across the Heartland, that evokes the titular picture of a stark and somber, yet beautiful, landscape, via icy synth pads, whistling quavering tones, and underlying drones. The other selections on the disc are variations on the formula heard on the opening title track, although Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (prologue) has a more overt retro-EM feel to it, and less of a holiday-esque coloring, especially when the rhythms drop off and Combs moves into flowing ambient territory. One last fact that may amaze you (it did me) is that all but one of the pieces (the sole exception is the non-holiday-themed bonus track at the end of the CD) were recorded at live concerts! Color me mega-impressed! Rating: Good+
ALBERT POLLARD, AURAL INNOVATIONS ISSUE #43 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011
The basis of this CD is electronic at heart, totally instrumental, and total journey music. The CD is made up of 8 tracks, 4 of which are recorded live and we also have 2 bonus tracks. The tracks flow in places like a Terry Riley album, giving nods along the way towards Tangerine Dream, and offering similar experiments with the style as BIOnight do in the modern age, but Sensitive Chaos also have something else to offer the ambient experimental world of electronic music.
The sound is mellow, hypnotic, fluent, spacey, and it offers a creative edge in the motions of the majority of tracks. It moves with a focus and it allows the listener to follow without injustice. The music finds itself lodged in the future, rekindling the past through the methods of its conception. It leans on the early styled sequential patterns of Tangerine Dream and the like, but it also embraces a form of jazz and the occasional ethnic rhythm, allowing it to go a little further past the original sequential patterns. On the whole I think that Seeker After Patterns is a fine experiment in sound and one that should be looked up if one is into such experiments.
SYLVAIN LUPARI, SYNTH&SEQUENCES, OCTOBER 4, 2011
As much strange as charming, Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells from Sensitive Chaos is a hallucinating journey into the wonderful and musical world of glockenspiels. A journey which goes straight in the heart of our childhood memories, during Christmas Eves and Holidays family reunions, and which enchants with its wintry tones. It’s an ode to winter, to its ice-cold pleasures and its nostalgic souvenirs that Jim Combs’s last opus wakes. Through its carillons and its ringings as joyful as melancholic, Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells wraps with a veil of prisms forgotten souvenirs of our early childhood. Built on a big variety of bells which ring and resound on rhythms and atmospheres to the antipodes of their essences, Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells is a brilliant opus to the measure of the ingenuity of this musician without borders, nor labels.
The title track is glittering of luminosity. On a delicate synth line which hides discreet choirs “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” wakes up with soft ringings of carillons which radiate on a delicate hypnotic rhythm. On a rhythm moulded by fine percussions, the crystalline arpeggios swirl in a wintry breeze to form a strange iridescent ballet where bells ring and flutter among curt chords of a cackling synth and a suave ethereal choir.
“Ceiliúradh Mhór” is a wonderful ballad of glass which spins among a union of percussions and keyboard keys to forge a very beautiful and catchy childish melody. The synth blows a beautiful bewitching tune to this splendid carousel to jingles of prisms which is cute and delicate as everything!
“Winter Winds across the Heartland” is a good ambient track where layers of a shrill synth interlace in a stunning sensibility. A nice cheerful track, “Spirit of the Season” offers a more punctuated rhythm.The percussions hammer a muffled but lively rhythm, while the carillons swirl all around this rhythmic structure which inevitably makes stomped.
Dancing on a discreet line with a tone of organ and percussions a bit like the Amerindian tribal kind, “Carillon et Champagne” soaks in a mixture of nostalgia and melancholy. On a slightly circular rhythm, the carillons draw an astonishing melody with glockenspiels’ strikings which twirl vaporously while following an ascending curve as in a mesmerizing ballet danced in weightlessness. Hypnotic, because of the color and tone of glockenspiels, “Carillon et Champagne” turns and turns in a stunning musical dizziness where tones of prism shape an odd melody.
Delicate keyboard keys skip on a synth line at the opening of “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)”. These furtive keys are effacing in the ascension of a synth line which makes tip over the track in an ethereal ambiance, surrounded by other powerful synth lines. An ambient track with filiform synth lines which sway in fine oscillations, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)” is the only title of this last opus of Sensitive Chaos at not to use carillons.
After a reprise of the opening track, where carillons ring with more velocity, Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells ends with a track as cheerful as “Spirit of the Season”.
Initially on the first album of Sensitive plant Chaos; Leak released in 2006, “Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery (Remastered)” is a lively track, livened up by nice arpeggios which spin on a rhythmic structure supported by sober percussions.
On a structure always so crystal clear as we find everywhere on this Jim Combs’s last opus, the rhythm is encircled by delicate shimmering arpeggios which turn in a minimalist way, increasing even more the glockenspiels which float of a beautiful circular movement on a tempo to youthful intonations, describing rather well the Holidays’ ambiance and the nostalgia circulating around Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells.
SYLVAIN LUPARI, GUTS OF DARKNESS (FRENCH), OCTOBER 4, 2011
Le premier album de Noël??? Aussi étrange qu’enchanteur, Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells de Sensitive Chaos est un hallucinant voyage dans le merveilleux et musical monde des glockenspiels. Un voyage qui descend en plein cœur de nos souvenirs d’enfants, lors des réveillons de Noël et des rencontres familiales du temps des Fêtes, et qui enchante par ses sonorités hivernales. C’est une ode à l’hiver, à ses plaisirs glacés et ses mémoires nostalgiques que ce dernier opus de Jim Combs réveille. À travers ses carillons et ses tintements aussi joyeux que mélancoliques, Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells enveloppe d’un voile de prismes les souvenirs oubliés de notre tendre enfance. Construit sur une grande diversité de clochettes qui tintent et résonnent sur des rythmes et atmosphères aux antipodes de leurs essences, Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells est un brillant opus à la mesure de l’ingéniosité de ce musicien sans frontières, ni étiquettes.
La pièce titre est étincelante de luminosité. Sur une délicate ligne de synthé qui cache de discrets chœurs, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells” s’éveille avec des doux tintements de carillons qui irradient sur un délicat rythme hypnotique. Sur un rythme moulé par de fines percussions, les arpèges cristallins tournoient dans une brise hivernale pour former un étrange ballet irisé où les clochettes tintent et voltigent parmi les accords secs d’un synthé caquetant et un suave chœur éthéré.
“Ceiliúradh Mhór” est une superbe ballade de verre qui tournicote autour d’une union percussions et accords de clavier pour forger une très belle et accrochante mélodie enfantine. Le synthé souffle un beau refrain enjôleur à ce splendide carrousel aux cliquetis de prismes qui est mignon et délicat comme tout!
“Winter Winds across the Heartland” est un beau titre ambiant où les couches de synthé stridentes s’entrelacent dans une étonnante sensibilité. Un beau titre enjoué, “Spirit of the Season” offre un rythme plus ponctué. Les percussions martèlent un rythme sourd mais enlevant, alors que les carillons tournoient tout autour de cette structure rythmique qui fait immanquablement taper du pied.
Dansant sur une discrète ligne à sonorité d’orgue et des percussions un peu dans le genre tribal Amérindien, “Carillon et le Champagne” baigne dans un mélange de nostalgie et de mélancolie. Sur un rythme légèrement circulaire, les carillons dessinent une étonnante mélodie avec des frappes de glockenspiels qui virevoltent vaporeusement tout en suivant une courbe ascendante comme dans un envoûtant ballet dansé dans un état d’apesanteur. Hypnotique, à cause de la couleur et la tonalité des glockenspiels, “Carillon et le Champagne” tourne et tourne dans un étonnant vertige musical où les sonorités de prisme moulent une curieuse mélodie.
De délicats accords de claviers sautillent sur une ligne de synthé en ouverture de “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue)”. Ces furtifs accords s’effacent dans l’ascension d’une ligne de synthé qui fait basculer le titre dans une ambiance éthérée, encerclée d’autres puissantes lignes de synthé. Un titre ambiant aux filiformes lignes de synthé qui ondoient dans de fines oscillations, “Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells (Prologue) ” est le seul titre de ce dernier opus de Sensitive Chaos à ne pas utiliser de carillons.
Après une reprise du titre d’ouverture, où les carillons tintent avec plus de vélocité, Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells se termine avec un titre aussi enjoué que “Spirit of the Season”.
Initially on Sensitive Chaos’ debut album; Leak released in 2006, “Nightshift at the Baby Mecha Nursery (Remastered)” is a lively track, animated by beautiful arpeggios which twirl on a rhythmic structure supported by sober percussions.
On a structure that is still as limpid as we can find everywhere on this last opus by Jim Combs, the rhythm is surrounded by delicate carillon arpeggios which turn in a minimalist way, accentuating even more the glockenspiels which float in a beautiful circular movement on a tempo. with youthful intonations, describing quite well the atmosphere of celebration and nostalgia that circulates in Remembering Chestnuts, Icy Cold, and Bells. I put 4 and a half scoops on him!