Amorphous Androgynous - The Isness & The Otherness

It amuses me how consistently, and with startling similarity history repeats itself. When Miles Davis released 'Bitches Brew' in 1970, people dismissed it as incoherent noise; a complete sell-out to commercialism and the youth market. Today, however it is widely regarded as one of the most influential, inventive and important recordings in jazz history.

When avid fans of any artist encounter a radical change in their musical output, it's bound to be a confronting experience. The unfortunate thing is that many brilliant works of art are overlooked in the process, simply due to expectations; when fans become so enamoured with an artist's work, there is a certain restrictive element to the relationship. Any change in musical direction will often meet with disapproval, as if striving to develop and evolve artistically is somehow a betrayal.

The Isness is indeed a bold departure from the densely electronic, layered and looped sounds of albums gone before. Whilst there are still spacious, cinematic and surreal aspects to the proceedings, there are also much broader influences, ranging from Indian classical music, to Pink Floyd and The Beatles. The fusion of genres and instruments, not to mention the overtones of love, peace and happiness are steeped firmly in the '60's. However, to categorize this as a psychedelic rock album would be simplifying things.

Ironically, a lot of the elements of the post 'Lifeforms' FSOL are as present as ever here. Even with the addition of vocals, the album still flows with a certain cerebral, otherworldly atmosphere. The key difference is, instead of the instrumentation consisting entirely of samples and electronics, the majority of the album is either acoustic or electric. On the track Divinity, for example, there is trumpet, sitar, acoustic and electric guitars, tabla, violin, cello... In total, 15 musicians, plus a choir.

Ultimately, The Isness is a phenomenal achievement, and I find it unfortunate that it was received with mixed feelings. I can only hope that in 30 years time, people begin to rediscover and appreciate this album; devoid of preconceptions and expectations. It truly is a timeless, beautiful, and beguiling work of art.