EMME YA
"Beyond The Secret Flame"(The Aiwass Manifesto) digifile 2010
KALIGLIMMER
Emme Ya is quite evidently a deep well of thelemic references. Occult in every meaning of the word. In a way the music can be compared to walking in a vast and well lit complex of marble hallways, scattered with symbols, statuary and sacred geometry. Everything is a representation of something else, and that again represents something different - as it should be.
From the very beginning I get the distinct feeling that this music reminds me of something, but I have no idea what. I've never heard anything like it. It's hallucinogenic, ritualistic, entrancing, unsettling and suggestive to the point of being hypnotic. My only guess is that it's triggered some deeply buried memories of something I've experienced under self hypnosis or a strange genetic memory. The music feels like home, but a home I've never been to before. The first track makes me feel like I'm lying under an endless carpet of stars, which is perfect for Nuit – and a pretty stark contrast to staring at the nuclear furnace that is Hadit (track 2) and even more so the scorching rays of Heru-Ra Ha (track 3).
Writing a review that explains both the type of music and the contents of that music is next to impossible. Gone are the dark drones and distorted soundscapes we usually think of when we hear the words "dark ambient", and in their place we have something that sounds like a blend of the Psychick Warriors ov Gaia and the trippier moments Pink Floyd, coming down after an unwitting experiment with "brown acid" and then a smattering of Etant Donnes. It's dark and primitive, but still manages to feel safe and warm in some strange way. Images of flames and shadows against a cave wall comes to mind, and the various rythmic implements used on the album underscores this feeling perfectly.
I do wish the voices were more audible however. While the muffled quality adds to the dream like atmosphere I feel that being able to make out more of the lyrics would benefit the listening experience. What little I can make out sounds like fragments from the Book of the Law, whose structures this release also mimics.
EMME YA
"Beyond The Secret Flame"(The Aiwass Manifesto) digifile 2010
TEMPELORES Emme Ya is a project from Columbia. The music goes into an experimental, ambient side and “Beyond The Secret Flame” is the latest release from this project.
When listening to Emme Ya, you have to be prepared to get yourself transferred into a story. Do not expect an easy listening, because you would feel betrayed from that soon enough. At first the music seems so calm, vocals telling the story, but there is something deeper at it. It would a waste to spoil the adventure of figuring out. During this three track release, which goes over 45 minutes, you get to hear some light music around it. Different instruments, a bit doom, sometimes it gets quite intimidating but never turns into a horror story. It is quite calm and perhaps it could have gone more intense at some points but it is not disturbing in the way it is. Maybe these 45 minutes are bit long for such calm music, a bit more variation could have spiced up a bit, which would attract a wider audience.
Most remarkable track in this release is the last one “The Throne Ov Poer (The Mask Ov Heru-Ra-Ha) for its dark start. Overall the release to be made for a select group of elite listeners. It ain’t up for everyone to keep their attention with this music for that long, but for those who do like to go experimental, find some joy in listening it.
EMME YA
"Beyond The Secret Flame" (The Aiwass Manifesto) digifile 2010
NECROWEB
From Colombia reached me these days, Emme Ya, a counting ritual ambient project, the influence of the ancient mystical cultures such as Atlantis, Sumerian gods, Voodoo Pantheon, atavism and other abstract forms. Sounds very interesting, let's see ...
Behind Emme Ya, a black planet with two suns, acts Kerval Edgar, who claims to be here rages in the fields of sound mutations and hybrid soundscapes.
The first sounds of "The Secret Flame" suggest an album in the direction of Dark Ambient. Seems to limit itself, but not the cause of Edgar Kerval to be, that can be incorporated but also ritualistic inspirations. The basic picture remains quite gloomy but with nature and a muffled voice in the dim atmosphere. The thereby introduced sounds let the listeners sometimes thought to believe that somewhere in the background as a beast moves in circles. So the atmosphere has a bit part. But the two remaining pieces of "The Coiled Cerpent" and "The Throne Of Power" go a similar direction, the ritual aspect but ultimately dominates without question.
The plays are only started once, changes in those self not really much. Rather, it seems, was here not to be underestimated value placed on the textual, and I unfortunately can not so really address the issue. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this is a journey to the inner consciousness of the nothingness and plays Aleister Crowley's 'Book Of The Law' is a role.
"Beyond The Secret Flame" has become an attractive plant and is probably mainly be of interest to friends of ritual sound arts. Nevertheless, the musician, not stingy especially with such long shows, with a change to prevent any possible monotony. Whether the homogeneous language performance suits but each, I venture to doubt strongly that one would have to perform variable. Otherwise, not bad, let's see what is revealed in the near future at Cold Spring published work.
EMME YA
"Beyond The Secret Flame" (The Aiwass Manifesto) digifile 2010
DAMNED BY LIGHT
I've heard Emme Ya on a couple of compilations, such as The Pentagram and Sex Magick by the label Quartier23, but this is the first time I've heard an actual full release by them. "Beyond the Secret Flame" is Emme Ya's debut album, and as many of you might've already noticed from the song titles, it's themed around "Liber AL vel Legis" or "The Book of the Law" by Aleister Crowley.
Occult themes often call for occult music. "The Secret Flame" starts with some waving and eerie electronic ambience and lower, thin droning in the background, both of which sound very minimal but nonetheless intriquing and highly atmospheric. One of the album's core elements is also revealed right up front; a slightly echoed and softened low male voice reads the three chapters from The Book of the Law almost throughout the album, all three in their respective tracks. As the voice has some softening effects on it you often can't tell what it is speaking, and so it mostly serves as an another instrument on the album (unless you're more familiar with the book, naturally). The opening track features some tribal percussions and drums to create some high points and variation to both the composition and it's atmospheres, and they truly add their own mysticism and create a highly pleasing combination with the looping ambience.
The opener stays in a constant form throughout it's lenght, flowing forwards with very little variation, and the same goes for the following two tracks as well. "The Coiled Serpent" consists of even more minimalistic ambience and the tribal percussions have changed to some sparser and more mystical ones, with the main highlights being created by some louder chimes. The track has an even deeper mystical feel than it's predecessor, and lasts equally well through it's lenght despite the repetition and the lack of real variation. The vocals (if you want to call them that) seem to have a bit more room to show their vastness and true character and variation as well, and work surprisingly well as soon as you get accustomed to them.
"The Throne of Power" starts with some more powerful drones, rather akin to a ship's horn. The soundscape is not as easily separated into parts, as it seems to be based on a layer of field recordings or other sounds that are hard to identify, along with the aforementioned drones giving the song power and drive. The layer of droning is denser and more powerful than on the earlier tracks, and it has a more overwhelming, even (to some extent) invasive feel. The distant crackles and what-not make the again simplistic soundscape sound more complex than it really is, and keeps the listener's interest up really well.
Overall the album is really pleasing, but be take heed that it'll pretty much need your fully attention and a loud volume level to function as it's meant to, simply due to it's bare structure and nature. The artist could've given the songs more detail, and the vocals could've been executed in a way that would've made them more interesting on their own.It's a really good droning ritual music album, if you're willing to give it time to comprehend the artist's vision about The Book of the Law. I bet that the artist knew that the album is quite difficult to grasp or understand, but he still remained true to his vision and ideas instead of taking the album to a more easily approachable direction. I respect that. Ritual music, to be enjoyed and explored in solitude.
8½ / 10
