The stark packaging adorning this CD gives no hint of the majesty of David Jackman's latest drone opus. Omega marks the third and final instalment of a trilogy that started with Sanctus on Robot Records and continued with Amen, also on Die Stadt.
This is indeed an adventurous release, composed essentially of one lengthy organ (and what sounds like a sitar) drone track broken up into three equal segments of just over 15 minutes' duration each. For any fan of either Organum or drone epics then this is something of a treat: the use of the swirling organ—with occasional interjections of bass counterpoints—lends this an utterly uplifting and deeply spiritual, sacral, and contemplative quality. This does indeed sound as if an organ from some huge cathedral or grotto was employed in its creation; the overall effect is one of vast spaces being filled with the music, all the while resonating with and echoing off of centuries-old stone edifices. Simultaneously the organ also invests the track with a warmth and closeness that made me want to wrap myself in it—this whole piece felt like an all-enveloping blanket of reassuring sound. As a consequence this is definitely one of those releases that seemingly not only gets into the brain to stimulate the intellectual and spiritual centers but also has the capacity to resonate at the physical level too; I almost expected my diaphragm and brain to start vibrating in sympathy with it, such is the depth and strength of the music and the bass drones.
It seems almost profane to describe Omega in any way other than spiritual or sacral. This could possibly be classified as a reinvigoration of sacred English and European baroque church music of which this seems to be an heir, with both a reinterpretation of that style and a re-alignment in conformation to a 21st century aesthetic. Although in many ways it could be argued that this is quite static and fails to evolve over the entire 45 minute length. I don't think that that's the point here; in combination with that uplifting quality I spoke of previously there is also a sublime sense of timelessness evident, almost verging on the eternal—almost as if once started then it will continue forever, until indeed the universe attains its own ultimate omega. Just like there are always beginnings somewhere out there in the limitless universe, so too there are endings—and this is a beautifully uplifting rendering of those very eternally-occurring endings (omegas).
(As an aside, after having listened to this about three or four times continuously, I felt slightly light-headed - I wonder if it was because of the effect the music was having on me...)
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