After watching Folk Noir (the played a few tracks from L.E.A.F.) during the Trolls et Légendes festival in 2013 I noticed that Thomas Biesmeijer has his own occupations (besides L.E.A.F.). One of them is the mysterious Cesair. I was able to see Cesair during the next Trolls et Légendes edition (2015) and was offered this new version of their brilliant debut album.
How to describe the music I got is not simple, but I guess this can make it: the lovely female voice (Monique van Deursen), lots of medieval and ancient music and lyrical influences (resulting in a great sound) and the fact that they really did a great job in the studio! I also love the artwork of the album, it's very inspiring! They used great instruments like a bodhran, zills, accordeon, a hammered dulcimer, a hurdy-gurdy, violins, viola, Jewish harp, Irish bouzouki, djembé... The old stories and mysteries are perfectly incorporated into the music.
The prologue was already very promising, but once Enuma Elish starts you'll be sold, like I was! The Tsigane touch is nice, just as Monique’s warm voice and the Arabic music (could be some other influence tough). I love the violins too! Seems to talk about an old Babylonian Creation myth. Minnic Soe Stervic starts very minimal, a bit of a musical tone, Monique’s voice singing softly and some Japanese instrument. It all sounds a bit like some sad Japanese story (I'm a Naruto fan and recognize some of it, at least for the first part of the song). After a while it gets a more folky and more festive sound, like dancing around a campfire. The strange Slavic singing really enchants you, but it's a Middle Dutch poem! Love the accordion in it! Graeica reminded me a bit of Daemonia Nymphe and it is indeed an ancient Greek song! Love the sound and the whole atmosphere! A great one!
Mal Casada starts softly with an accordeon and then changes into the Iberian song that it is, even sung in the native language and with a lovely violin. It's clear that this band can take on every language they want and work out a great song in the tradional Folk style! The end is a real party, almost clapping automatically my hands! What a party!
Bergatrollets Friari starts with a scary sound, as if something bad is going to happen, like in the movie 'The Gladiator' when a complete family will die. It's a Swedish traditional with a sad ending and that is the vibe during the whole song! A great catch!
Canso is a 14th-century Occitan song, love the violin in it, just as the lovely voice and the tribal and festival sound!
Ishtar has nothing to do with the one we send to the Eurosong festival (at least I hope so), this song somehow reminds me a bit of Inkubbus Sukkubus, but then with a folky sound. Love the guest vocals of Sonja Drakulich! It's really a mesmerizing song! So wonderful and sweet, I feel like having a sugar boost!
Dies, Nox Et Omnia, the title track is a Latin and Old French Medieval Poem with a very dream wave kind of a sound in the beginning, until the song breaks open and becomes a more animated song with a very sad feeling. The sweet melancholy makes you forget about the lyrics and draws you into the heavenly chant, the great percussion and the violin!
Du Som Har is yet another Swedish Traditional, a nice ballad this time with a very melancholic feel. Recalling the feelings that once have been, but were never answered. The voice is that of a nightingale, soft, cherishing and painfully lovely.
The Wandering of Oison is an Irish Folk Story and it gets the right musical sound for it, well worked out. I can see people dance on it!
Atiny Naya is based on an Arabic Poem written by Kahlil Gibran and that's been perfectly reflected by the music. The voice gets a deeper sound and the violin gets once again an important part! I think that this one can grow out to be an important song on stage, as it gets a nice and more energetic ending, throwing you into a dance that gets faster and faster until you fall to the ground, completely out of breath! Pure ecstasy!
Y Gododdin is a 7th-Century Middle Welsh Poem by Aneirin, a nice lamentation over the deaths of the slain warriors at the Battle of Catraeth. It's a beautiful song to end with, despite the lamentation! The singing make sit so sweet.
If you have the original version you’ll notice that these songs do not figure or are only available in a remix: Canso, Graeica, Bergatrollets Friari and Mal Casada.
So far the regular part of this CD, after this we get the remixes from great bands!
Canso gets the Niel Mitra remix, changing it into a music only track. The focus is on the first part of the original, lifting the instruments to a higher level and creating a sound that comes close to a musical mantra.
Mal Casada gets the Corvus Corax remix. The sound is louder, on fire from the start and with bagpipes. This version is much more into a party! I Love it! Perfect version!
Another shot in the rose is The Schwarzblut remix of Graecia: more, percussions, electronics and a higher rythme. This version sounds a bit like Helium Vola and Qntal and that is a great thing! The heavenly vocals are in perfect balance with this new version! They can deliver more of this kind of great stuff!
Bergatrollets Friari gets the Orchus remix treatment and thus a more mysterious sound. This is not something for the dancefloor, but rather for dark nights, a bit like In Slaughter Natives, but less scary.
I can't do more but to use the repeat button and believe me, it has been running the whole weekend! I hope this band gets booked more at plays at all great festivals this summer and yes: they'll play also next year during the Trolls et Légendes at Mons!
