Evan Bartholomew – Secret Entries Into Darkness

A Shepard scale forms the basis of the beaty loop that spans nearly the whole of "Where Forgotten Days Slumber". Some very intelligent production, here.

Evan Bartholomew "Secret Entries Into Darkness" CD

Evan Bartholomew is most likely better known as Evan Marc or Bluetech in psychedelic trance community. However, "Secret Entries Into Darkness" is his third album crossing into ambient territory, and second on his own Somnia label, released in 2008. Somnia label is quite famous for their gorgeously designed packagings featuring prints with soy inks on recycled paper, sewn sleeve and sealed with little wax stamp, signed and numbered to 777 copies. Okay, let's investigate now the sonic part of this release. Opening title track "Secret Entries Into Darkness" is centered around deep and mysterious drones enriched by spiraling dramatic textures, deeply echoed and shadowy, just like its beautiful cover artwork painting by Ray Massini! This mood crosses also into "Cracks In The Fabric Of The Known" with repeating hallucinogenic atmosonics and colored with fractal groovy ingredients, by far less massive than the overture. Dark washes with crystalline high-tech heartbeats color also the next piece "Soft Spots In The Tyranny Of Matter". This uniquely crafted composition is supported also by some catchy bird calls, voice samples, few industrially oriented inserts and assorted crispy sonic elements. Highly attractive and effective, one of a kind listening experience, absolutely magnificent!!! Pulsing sonics invade also "Where Forgotten Days Slumber", but the dramatic layers step into the fore again and interact with futuristically energized and spastic sound effects. Sonic evolution at its most exciting and awesome level!!! "And Ancient Hurts Dwell" is colored with minimal mechanical pulses, while the next piece, "Light Reflecting Black In Shadow" moves towards ethereal realms featuring rotating angelic-like sounds. The closing "Freedom Found In Surrender" is deeply evocative composition with strong cinematic feel, a truly gracious finale! Yes, "Secret Entries Into Darkness" is quite different when comparing to its Somnia forerunner "Caverns Of Time", but this is just another step in Evan's musical development and progress, it's an evolution that certainly infuses ambient genre with very fresh wind, both musically and visually!!! It's a pity that Evan remains silent with this project even if his new release for Hypnos Secret Sounds is scheduled for a very long time. I really hope one day Evan's new album will see the light and we will have this enormously talented and crafted artist back...

Richard Gürtler (Sep 16, 2011, Bratislava, Slovakia)

In the second installment of his Somnia series, a Portland based modern classical composer, Evan Bartholomew, continues his meditative descent through Secret Entries Into Darkness. The minimal ambient sound slightly curves around the deep entrance, brushing the wet moonlight on the cave's bold stone, before it breaks into sheaths of white, and vanishes with echoes. Unlike its predecessor, this journey in this follow up is more rhythmic and darker, sustaining an eerie and desolate feeling, as the composer dissects the abstract lines between the realms of life and death during our weightless dive into Xibalba. In his streaming hypnotic voyage, Bartholomew perfects his production and the art of revealing his soul to the listener through music. The gravity of the emotion is immediate and heavy; for when the album ends, we are left alone and helpless, at the bottom of the void, only to be born again. Once again, the album is signed, numbered, and limited to 777 wax sealed copies packaged in sewn, soy ink stamped, recycled paper. Recommended if you like Steven Reich, Brian Eno, and Philip Glass. Absolute favorite track : Soft Spots In The Tyranny Of Matter.