Front Line Assembly fans would have raised many a pierced brow had you told them years ago that the duo was to achieve way more acclaim and reach a much wider audience as the incarnation Delerium than FLA ever would, but that’s the way it went down. For those out of the drumloop, Delerium created record after record of beautiful ambient music throughout the 90’s that forged the accessibility of Enya and hooks of Enigma, yet was infinitely more interesting than the two put together.
Conjure One is the solo departure of FLA/Delerium co-creator Rhys Fulber. After so many projects with partner Bill Leeb, it’s interesting to see the character of one separated from the other. Of course similarities are a given, and Fulber carries on some of Delerium’s most cherished traditions. Conjure One is electronica with something that will please everyone ranging from uber-hip snobby techno kids to alternative-pop admirers of say, Madonna's Ray of Light. The album is expertly crafted, and took years in the making—it has a cohesive feel that the last three Delerium records also shared. Utilizing an impressive array of female guest vocal artists, the self-titled release includes Poe, Sinead O’Connor, and Israeli vocalist Chemda (whose passion blew me away). And like Delerium’s most recent recordings Karma and Poem, the album’s lush packaging also comes in a two-disc limited edition version—the second disc features some gorgeous remixes, that like the album cover artwork suggests, would be a great sonic backdrop for a drive across the desert.
Just how much of a departure is it from Delerium, then? While it definitely is, in what way is hard to verbalize. I listened to one of my favorite records, the Delerium album Poem (which is mostly Leeb), as I wrote this. It is brilliant and highly refined… but I think it’s almost to a fault. I say “almost” because what it really amounts to is a stylistic difference. There is a tendency to be so tidy that very few moments (vocally, at least) convey the raw emotion and power I hear on Conjure One. I don’t see Conjure One popping up on mom’s new age collection sandwiched between Yanni and the Chariots of Fire theme song—which is neither good nor bad for either Delerium or Conjure One. But I really appreciate how Conjure One has stepped out a bit from Fulber’s roots. Conjure One is instantly likeable without any pieces sounding formulaic or tired. Fulber displays a lot of vision, which I think is particularly harder and harder to do with electronic music and it’s a very inspiring album. |