:::::: PERUN ::::::

After many self-issued CD-R releases, 3" CD published by Polish label Nefryt and participation (next to Tony Wakeford and Tor Lundvall) on international compilation "Songs for Landeric", released by French label Cynfeirdd, Polish group One Inch of Shadow has finally waited through its first official album. "Birthday of Angels and Mannequines" is filled with volatile, neopsychedelic, lazy and subtle painted ambient landscapes and delicate ethereal songs. Release contains nearly an hour of spiritualized, unreal music dwelling on the border of reality and dream. Voices, piano, guitar, trumpet, percussion closed in enormous ambience of sounds. Perfect, autumnal soundtrack.

1. in chapels and in hotels
2. things to change
3. umited artists
4. salt
5. naked gallows

6. mannequin song
7. the birthday

Perun contact: Tomasz Zrąbkowski, skr. 437, 00-950 Warszawa 1, Poland
perunrun@poczta.onet.pl, perunrun@interia.pl

One Inch of Shadow website: serpent.pl/oneinchofshadow

reviews:

www.aquariusrecords.org:
This release on Polish label Perunrun comes to us via AQ pal Smolken who is Dead Raven Choir. One Each Of Shadow are DRC labelmates in Poland and share a similar aesthetic although OEOS are essentially a pop band, but sort of a slowcore pop band, all murky and dreary and reverby. Creeping lugubrious basslines, whispery, heavily affected vocals, dreamy, swampy ambient backgrounds, simple shuffling beats, fuzzy far-away horns, smeary indistinct melodies, and repetetive, pulsing, rhythmic arrangements make this a gorgeously hypnotic late night listen. Fans of Low and Codeine, and even Tindersticks or the Blackheart Procession might really dig this.

www.dagaz-music.com:
I had already noticed One Inch Of Shadow on the Cynfeirdd edition "Songs For Landeric". Only a few days after hearing for the first time this recent Perun edition I perceived that this project has already a few CDR. In general, this CD is ambiental with distant and whispered voices that afford good introspective moments. Although emerging in a field with so many offers, this edition stands out due to the immensity of instruments/sound used that make it very rich and enriching.

www.funprox.com:
The second release of the Perun label, after "Evensong" by The Blue Hour. One Inch of Shadow is a Polish band, which I first encountered on the Cynfeirdd compilation "Songs for Landeric". They also issued some cd-r's and a single before. Now they have created their first official album, "Birthday of Angels and Mannequines". I was directly attracted by the artwork on the cover and the accompanying postcards, very charming, naive colourful paintings. The music also reminds me of paintings, the songs are carefully built up impressionist compositions, a little foggy and mysterious. The music of One Inch of Shadow reminds me a little of The Blue Hour, sounding rather tranquil and quite modest. Another act that comes to mind is In Gowan Ring. The styles and influences of One Inch of Shadow are more diverse though. A little jazzy here, a bit folky there, add some psychedelic or ethereal elements and a few drops of ethnic ambient and you get a varied palette of pleasantly relaxed music. The songs are dominantly instrumental, though some contain mostly whispered vocals. A few of the instruments used are piano, acoustic guitar, percussion, a soft trumpet and various strange effects. The result is quit cinematic, being able to stimulate your fantasy. Not an album that stands out for its individual tracks, but it delivers an hour of fine subtle music. Ideal for introspective moments, to listen to when you are retreated into a little corner.

www.chaindlk.net/reviews:
Second Perun release after The Blue Hour, and this is even better. One Inch of Shadow are a Polish quartet author of several DIY cd-r's and a single published by Polish label Nefryt; they've also contributed to the Cynfeirdd compilation "Songs of Landeric". No neo-folk here, though. Try and think of a fragile, intimistic song structure dissolved and dilated into an original form of psychedelic ambience. If I had to make a comparison, I'd say this sounds like the repertoire of a new wave band played by Sigur Ros, Labradford or some other Kranky artist, but this might be misleading too. There's an Italian project called Noosfera which is not that different from OIOS. Perun rightly writes: "Perfect, autumnal soundtrack to the picture of falling leaves and seething, rainy clouds". Chrysalids of songs which stretch their time in iterations and suspensions, sometimes magically building themselves around a single loop ("Things to change"), some others held in a slightly menacing wait ("Salt"). "Naked Gallows" has a dark dub cadence not that far from Pan American, while "Mannequin song" drifts away on piano and trumpet notes in a seemingly endless, half-voiced lament. An individual and extremely satisfactory release, coming in a nice layout, with separate panels featuring paintings and postcard-like layout with lyrics.
Eugenio Maggi

www.backagain.de:
After some self-released CD-Rs, "The Birthday Of Angels And Mannequins" is the first "official" CD album of Polands ONE INCH OF SHADOW. Even if the band is not very well-known yet, I am sure, they will find a lot of interested people with this CD. If you are into Ambient-Ethereal and very minimalstic music, you are absolutely right here. I feel remembered on bands/projects like Cindytalk and This Mortal Coil or a mixture of typical elements of bands from World Serpent and Factory Records. You should listen to this CD in a calm atmosphere with candlelight and maybe a snowy landscape outside. One of my favourite tracks on this album is the piano-based "Mannequin Song", which reminds me on some late Rozz Williams tracks or 4 AD stuff like Pieter Nooten and others.
There are also some experimental tunes, which make the whole album very flexible, but all in all it is very relaxing. The artwork is very loveable, too, you can choose between 4 different front covers! (A.P.)

Eld rich palmer:
With this album, their debut CD on Perun, and a 3" CD-R on Malachit, a certain period in the band's career draws to its close, a period of directness in music, the core of which was the expression of emotions. Now the band seems more interested in developing the form and placing the stress on other spheres. It isn't an abrupt shift, but the transformation can be easily noticed. First of all, 'The Birthday...' was recorded in an actual studio, owing to which various nuances could be accentuated, new instruments could be used and the band could concentrate on details which now play major role in their music. The abundance of emotions has been replaced with the building up of atmosphere, accompanied by very soft and warm sound. The atmosphere appears to be a predominant element and everything else to be subordinate to it. What's it like then? It's specific - wistful, nostalgic and very autumnal, which once was typical of the recordings on Obuh Records (early ZA SIODMA GORA, KSIEZYC, KING ELF). Also, for some time the album was being said to be released on Wojcek's imprint, who participated in the production anyways. Some other points of reference would be LEGENDARY PINK DOTS and COIL of their 'song' period. I guess any artist capable of conjuring up an inimitable atmosphere could be appreciated by the authors of 'The Birthday...', just take the last but one track in which you can hear the reference to CURRENT 93's 'Soft Black Stars'. All in all, it's a first-rate, though demanding, debut. Also the label deserves some praise as it has done a very good job. The only minus is the vocalist's voice but that's a matter of taste of course...
[krzysztof sadza]

Dead Angel #58
This is some seriously mysterious mojo, man. Never heard of the band before, which is hardly surprising, since they're apparently from Poland, and I haveonly Smolken from Dead Raven Choir to thank for the chance to grok it at all. Their sound is somewhere in the neighborhood of that smoky country death blues that the Black Heart Procession called their stomping grounds early on, just a few fields down from Current 93 and all the World Serpent bands. They're not too far removed from the Dead Raven Choir in terms of intent, in fact. But then their sound is so lush and ambient, so slow and droning, it calls to mind bands like Maeror Tri, Troum, Flying Saucer Attack, Godspeed You Black Emperor... all those droning soundtrack bands. The cd itself comes with four stiff inserts, all from a sinister medieval painting, with lyrics, notes, etc. on the back, completing a graceful and eerie experience with the appropriate graphics. I greatly approve. This is a brilliant cd, far too complicated and otherworldly to bother with yapping about "why" it is a dark work of genius - just trust me, it is and you want to hear it. Uh, somehow. (No, you can't borrow my copy, I'm listening to it, grrrr....)

www.starvox.net:
This is the second CD release from the Polish label Perun Records (the first being "Evensong" by The Blue Hour, which I previously reviewed for StarVox). One Inch Of Shadow is a unique and incredibly dark ambient project, utilizing hypnotic electronic samples, trance inducing loops, and light percussion. The entire album is a minimalist exploration of languid dream-like sounds, drenched in cavernous reverb, with fleeting passages of soft male or female vocals and spoken word. The songs are slow and spacious, occasionally utilizing muffled trumpets to invoke a kind of dark lounge or jazz vibe, while processed guitars or pianos creep in every so often. The only thing I can possibly compare this to would be Sigur Ros or perhaps some of Radiohead's more electronica influenced releases. Yet this seems much slower and slightly elusive than either. The seven tracks that appear on this release are all relatively lengthy, and intentionally repetitive in order to achieve the desired hypnotic effects. The first track "In Chapels And In Hotels," I liked quite a bit, as it reminded me of a more subdued Lycia or Slowdive. But I personally am much too impatient to enjoy music that is this relaxed (however dark or unnerving parts of it may be) in any active state of consciousness. However, this is perfect for lounging around, reading, or for meditative purposes. One Inch Of Shadow is unquestionably successful in creating a strong and unmistakable vibe with their music - it isn't just a bunch of hollow drones or numb electronic non-sense that repeats itself mindlessly for an hour. There is definitely some substance here, however, it is not something that I personally can foresee myself listening to unless I want to have some seriously bizarre or depressing dreams. And that seems to be the key in enjoying this disc. Down a bottle of wine, light some candles, and let this CD take you to another place, on the brink of consciousness. In this day and age, when we all lead such busy and hectic lives, discovering music like this is a challenging reminder that sometimes, its ok to just unwind and chill. Hopefully, I will be able to do that in the near future, and this will be the disc I choose to celebrate my inactivity with! Whatever the case, though One Inch Of Shadow's style of downtempo atmosphere may be an acquired taste, The Birthday of Angels and Mannequines is a transcendent and delicate release of high regard and subtle ethereal power.
Matthew Heilman