My review of "Winterlicht" CD by Seetyca

[richardgurtler]

Seetyca "Winterlicht" CD

As far I remember I have noticed Seetyca for the first time through "The Luminous Deep" CD album on gterma during 2012, but I somehow always considered this German project a bit darker and perhaps slightly noisier, more experimental to my taste. Although I must say I am still far away to be familiar with really extensive discography of this gifted soundsculptor counting over 70 solo and collaborative albums, mostly released through own label Mbira Records on CDr format. The amount of glass mastered CDs clocks, if I am right, to seven, all released on three labels, Essentia Mundi, already mentioned gterma and Winter-Light. The latest "Winterlicht" CD was released on Winter-Light label during October 2017 and it was exactly this album that immediately placed Seetyca on my radars. I have been blown away by this dronescaping masterwork since the very first day it was announced by this sympathetic Dutch label. After "Nemeton" (2015) and "Zwischenwelten" (2016), "Winterlicht" is Seetyca's third album for this label. The CD is packaged in a glossy 4-panel digipak designed by Midnight Sun Studio.

"Cold Morning" fires up the journey with slowly unfolding texture bridging engulfing monochromatic solitudes, impalpably mesmerizing shimmers and glimpsing intensified panoramas. The next piece, "A Drone In My Head", as indicated by its title, dives straightly into magnificently barren terrains, where spellbindingly flatlined, yet gracefully multi-dimensional drone alchemy fully blossoms, auxiliary evanescent signals continuously percolate and the whole scenario inconspicuously shifts into staggeringly monumental sonic oasis. Wow, with this in my head, I am totally addicted to Seetyca!!! "Eyn Kalter Rausch" delves even deeper into solitarily nebulous plains amplified by humming winds and juxtaposed by vaguely glancing cinematic horizons. 13-plus minutes long title track "Winterlicht" follows the snow traces of its predecessor, heavier, blizzard invaded wastelands exquisitely commingle with serenely permeating, enigmatically nuanced, yet balmily immersing panoptic grandness and intangibly tinkling ambiguousness. An epic driftscape exploration of breathtakingly spectacular wintery vast emptiness, enter now the Drone Eden!!! "The Tree Behind My House", unsurprisingly returns into more narrative sceneries, where layers of introspective earmarks, both static and animated, merge with rapidly shining gossamery traceries. "Eyn Schönes Glänzen", at 18:32 the longest composition on "Winterlicht", relievedly glides into thrillingly engulfing stratums fueled by quiescent blankets with enthrallingly rising and ebbing mindscapes. Shorter "Flockenglanz" attracts with its titillating piquancy, while "Eyne Leuchtende Nacht" masterfully metamorphoses meditative organic fragrances through awe-inspiring abysmal stillness into persistently helixing transcendental drone reverberations blended with serpentinely glorifying vistas. Nearly 8 minutes of pure aural bliss is served here! A truly phenomenal track, bravo, Maestro!!! "Rauschendes Ostinato" stays tightly fixed to gracefully reflective dronescaping imageries, then through diaphanous, yet ear-piercing sparkles progressing into perplexingly intriguing "Hibernacule". Brief "Dreaming Of Snow" transforms into ethereal zones, blending biotic field recordings with remote poetic plateaus. Closing "Global Chillage" incorporates except wide-screen sonorousness also sharply pulsing and abundantly radiant sequences. A very suitable conclusion!

To me, with 79 minutes long "Winterlicht" album Seetyca reveals the very top of his exceptionally transporting soundcarving, where the listener is taken directly to the forefront of fascinatingly rewarding and tenebrously enveloping drone magnitudes. A headphone listening is strongly recommended too even if a slightly cleaner sound would add some extra bonus points. "Winterlicht" is prodigiously triumphant album and without doubt it belongs to the sonic pinnacles of 2017. Hats off to Seetyca and kudos to all guest friends who contributed to this gemstone as well as to the Winter-Light crew!!! To be honest, I am delighted to be deeply connected now as few new recordings/projects are on the way for 2019.

Richard Gürtler (Jan 20, 2019, Bratislava, Slovakia)

[thirdsystem]

Excellent album and helped me discover the Winter Light label.

Also have the Bridge to Imla and Kloob albums which are great. Couple of newer ones I need to check out on the label.

[richardgurtler]

Excellent album and helped me discover the Winter Light label.

Also have the Bridge to Imla and Kloob albums which are great. Couple of newer ones I need to check out on the label.

Thanks a lot, thirdsystem! Yeah, there is lots of nice music on this Dutch label. As far I know also new Seetyca CD should be out within few months on Winter-Light. Keep on exploring!!!

Richard ;)