Balam Acab专辑介绍：去年的这个时候，Tri Angle厂牌还被人说成是Witch House的代表，成了潮流的先锋。一年之后，已经没有人记得什么是Witch House了，但Tri Angle厂牌的受瞩目程度却是与日俱增，原因是什么？Balam Acab的这张新作便能回答这个问题。 如果说，Witch House最让人深刻的是那份诡异但优美的氛围感，那么《Wander / Wonder》算得上是完美地传递了这个概念，只不过，Balam Acab用上的音乐手法要比之前的Witch House音乐人要丰富多了，无论是《Apart》和《Fragile Hope》里把潮水声，雷声和水滴声等自然声响成功地加入到音乐中之外，像《Motion》和《Oh，Why》中体现出来的点点R&B影响也相当醉人。 或许这么说有点俗气，但用Harold Budd的电子环境乐章加上Jamie xx的电音美学来形容《Wander / Wonder》或许是最直接的比喻。 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ by Heather Phares It’s no mistake that Alec Koone uses underwater imagery for Balam Acab's album artwork. The underwater chasm that graces Wander/Wonder reflects how Koone's debut full-length is even more deeply aquatic than the See Birds EP was, as well as its subtlety and narrower focus. See Birds was just five songs long, but it covered more musical territory; by contrast, Wander/Wonder is an exercise in depth, a flowing suite of mermaid’s lullabies that turn seductive. The opening track, “Welcome,” does just that, beckoning with low tones that could be whale songs that pull the listener in until the song’s luminous heart reveals itself like a pearl in an oyster. From there, the album only becomes more feminine and enveloping -- and more sensual, particularly on “Motion,” where lush strings and a sparkling melody caress sighing vocals, and on “Apart,” where the bubbly bassline reflects the R&B influence of Koone's music most clearly. Wander/Wonder is dominated by high-pitched vocals that sound like alluring aliens or sirens -- “Now Time” feels like capturing an underwater beauty singing to herself in the bath -- and a palette of harp, strings, and glockenspiel that, while more recognizably human than See Birds' mostly electronic tones, somehow feels stranger and more remote than the EP did. Coupled with the overwhelming intimacy of songs like “Expect,” it’s a fascinating contrast, evoking a dream world that seems tangible and elusive at the same time, until the listener is left dripping on dry land with “Fragile Hope.” Though it’s a very different journey than See Birds, Wander/Wonder is another testament to Koone’s abilities as a sensitive and evocative producer.