Secede ‎– Tryshasla

Lame! And here’s why-

Usually when I hear something like this my immediate thought is ‘I don’t get it’ or ‘I must be missing something’ – not the case here, I get it - it’s just dumb. I can’t seem to find any review for this album that doesn’t refer to it as ‘sonic beauty’ or whatever, but certainly it isn’t the same brand of sophisticated beauty one might hear from a Janek Schaefer or William Basinski, rather the colourful, cartoony brand one might associate with Alice in Wonderland or somesuch prepubescent inanity, typical of the Sending Orbs catalogue. The songs are ok I guess, but that’s all they are, certainly not worth the ridiculous price tag you’ll find attached trying to add this one to your collection these days, though if you do end up dishing out the cash, as I did, your disappointment won’t stem from your empty wallet.

Onto the songs themselves then; the album as a whole, is an incoherent mishmash of 2, or perhaps 3 types of songs; the first of which is mainly built around a single melodic motif which plays for the duration of the track; see Foliage Pathway and Shrine; incidentally, these are perhaps the best tracks on the album if only for their cohesiveness. The second bears similarities to the first but is far more directionless – layer upon layer of seemingly random and incompatible (and again, cartoony) ambient quasi-melodies and found-sounds; the artist here, and more broadly, throughout the album, is seemingly exhibiting a ‘more = more’ philosophy which is entirely short-sighted and infantile; see Realms of Sanda, Kingdom of Hearts - unremarkable and, moreover, forgettable songs which unfortunately, eat up the majority of Tryshasla’s playtime. This, to me, only serves to mask the artist’s obvious lack of skill and experience in songwriting by means of muddy clouds of awkward sound.

The third is some manner of kick-snare Boards of Canada clonage, but lacking the magic, depth and third-eye vision of said band. The ‘IDM’ tag often used to refer to these tracks, and indeed this entire album, if you ask me, is entirely misleading – there’s nothing IDM about this, unless your idea of said genre is a series of ordinary and predictable 4/4 beats alongside some lame-arsed, equally ordinary and predictable indie-rock type chord progressions. Always a point of heated debate as we all know – what is IDM? – well whatever it is, this disc aint got it.

Overall the album screams of hasty songwriting, half-baked musical promises but never a payoff. The album, and perhaps also the artist, lack ambition, creativity, the balls to really give you something that sais FUCK YOU to whatever you think you know about music - and as a result, I can’t help but think the album’s near-legendary status is simply the shilling of pimple-faced IDM kiddies the likes of which are, in the far-off galaxy of dub techno, net-drooling in a similar fashion. Tryshasla isn’t a bad album, but I can’t bring myself to recommend this to you. Considering the asking price for this disc and the absurd simplicity of the music therein, there really isn't any reason to choose this one over the many alternatives - grab Legiac’s album ‘Mings Feaner’ to hear this style done correctly.

Fantastic! and here is why:

Firstly the motif of using music as a journey speaks volumes about the composer's/artist's attitude to music and life in general if you appreciate the sentiment, this is the electronic album you've been looking for all these years.

Secondly, as another review says the songs are "organic", had they not been so, the soundscapes would have roughly mimicked the cold, syntheic and often unrelatable music of the british duo Plaid so even though its all "synthesized", its warm and for the lack of a better word, "cozy".

Thirdly, like everything that gets the "masterpiece" label, this too is a genre-defying work. The traditional labels like "Ambient" and "idm" etc still apply but without being disloyal to the core characteristics of these genres Van Der Last introduces little surprises like field recordings and vocal samples in almost every song making it that much more lush, grand, rich and complex.

Finally, accessibility is a virtue that often finds itself in a trade-off with complexity. After all, how can something thats "Experimental" and "Avant Garde" be accessible? This may not be an avant garde piece of music but its certainly accessible and comes off with a genuine generosity of spirit that one is bound to mistake it for something simple. Yet, I'm sure this is not one of those albums that you listen to obsessively for one week and forget all about it, this is the stuff you'll keep coming back to, at least once every year you too will want to make your journey to "Landa".

'Tryshasla' is an album of sonic beauty from beginning to end.
Pure escapism, childlike wonder & effervescent memories. I found this album via a searching the Net for new sounds last year & also being a BIG fan of Sending Orbs' label, now owning Legiac & both Yagya albums. I finally hold this lush audio soundscape in my hands after paying 46 British notes for it (well worth it!!) & so proud I got it at last!

The very beginning sounds of Hospital Requiem, immediately transpose the listener into a sense of realism; Life support machines bleep & hum, whispered voices of a desperate man who wants to return to the mystical world he was in before being revived.

We the listener are (as with Frank the character) whisked away slowly & surely into Foliage Pathway, where melodies play joyously & moments are treasured, where dreams & fond memories are conjured, just beautiful.
The sounds of 'Leraine' kick in which lift your spirits & marks the album's spirit well. Then we're elevated to a mystical wondrous place 'The Realms of Sanda' & from this point you can empathise with Frank why you would not want to leave this place.

I doubt I can really go into every track & review it & give it credit that it rightfully deserves, as it's an example of how to make a journey in sound for an hour.
It's not only the melodies that play well & truly inspirational but the field recordings Secede has developed too that really whisk you from your reality so well. As another reviewer rightfully quoted, Secede must have had some serious inspiration to create this 'masterpiece' of electronica/ambient.
I didn't mention the legendary artwork of Jeroen Advocaat aligning the album's sounds perfectly.

So..In the words of Frank "Let Me Go"

"Tryshasla" is really as gorgeous as it is spoken about. Lennard must have been in a long inspiration to create an integral sequence of rich, complex and unbearably beautiful electronic compositions without any weak moments. The music is freely transforming "fantasy" ambient (devoid of "fantasy" style cliches, of course) with lots of mind-blowing collages, exquisite samples and distinct environmental sounds. And the endings of the three rhythmic tracks (3, 6 and 8) contain ones of the most hypnotising pads I've ever heard. Long this may take to describe the whole album with all its tricks and surprises - every second is unlike another. The overall listening effect is literally awesome. Hard to imagine that this intricate and accessible work of art was created by only one young man.

Being out of print at the moment of this review, "Tryshasla" is worth every cent, every penny you pay for it. 1500 copies is just too little for an all-time classic.

This is an work of art.
Tryshasla is an audio tale full of beauty. At some points the music takes such turns that I fail to understand where I am in all of this or where it's taking me, but soon enough it comes back to more familiar territory and the journey continues.
I guess Leraine is the highlight of this album, but it really shouldn't be listened to anything else, but as whole, from the first second to the very last, this way it reveals it's true nature.
The artwork it self deserves a note, because it's perhaps the best I've yet seen. Very warm looking images that fit the story. An easy 5/5!

Tryshasla is the second release from the newly founded Sending Orbs label, and what a release it is... I think this is one of the only albums where I love every track. From the beginning of the beautiful opener 'Hospital Requiem' right to the end of 'We No Longer Need Ourselves', you're plunged into an ambient journey through a magical and colourful world. This album isn't just another electronic piece of music, the songs just breathe life and the melodies sound extremely organic.
Throughout the album, you follow the story of a dying man who - in his dream - makes a last journey to a mysterious land called 'Sanda'. This tale is being told with only the help of the music and the sounds Secede captured out in the country, so there remains much room for imagination.
Also the gorgeous artwork in the booklet deserves to be mentioned. Being painted by Jeroen Advocaat, it brings to life the world of Sanda in 6 different magnificent paintings. Sending Orbs doesn't only care for the music, but also makes the package a real piece of art.

Don't let this album pass if you're into ambient, you won't regret it! Easily one of the best releases of 2005.

The track 'Leraine' featuring Kettel is completely astonishing. Perfect construction, perfect melody, perfect sound. It shows us what they're likely to do together. And for sure, if there will be a collaboration between these guys, the album will probably be one of the best ambient/IDM release for a long time. 'Wait & See' as we usually say.

I'm speaking especially about one track but the entire disc is excellent because all tracks have something to offer (like 'Hospital Requiem' and 'Foliage Pathway' from the debut album or 'Kingdom Of Hearts' for example). Yes, this is definitively a must-have.