DAWN AND DUSK ENTWINED - A Harvest of Winds - 10" - 6 tracks - Athanor - 2004

Released last September on the French label Athanor, 'A Harvest of Winds' features rare or unreleased tracks from the well-know French act Dawn and Dusk Entwined. These six tracks were composed during the 'Remergence' area, which gives a clue about the atmosphere therein...

The a-side opens with 'She Came From The East'… a title present (in its Winter version) on the 'Audacia Imperat' compilation but an absolutely brilliant track nonetheless! It begins with a short neoclassical introduction mixed with a sample (?) of an eastern female voice that creates a mysterious and cinematic atmosphere, before leaving place to a more percussive rhythm combined with David's vocals… A 80's new-wave feeling emerges from this song and makes it very touching. Like a circle, it closes with the same sample and neoclassical accompaniment as the one used in the introduction. An excellent beginning!
Follows 'Sacrifice For Purity (1st Voice)', a different version of the original title present on the 'Remergence' album. Then, 'False Mercury', closes this side with an introspective and melancholic track built upon neoclassical elements, samples and whispered lyrics…
First track on the b-side, 'The Awaker', features on the Codreanu's tribute 'Fidelis Legio'. A well executed combination of rain, a timeless melody, a fragile female voice reciting a Dumitru Leondies poem and historical samples... followed by a more martial part combined with David's vocals.
'Along the plains', though it begins with the sound of the wind in a storm mixed with a weird melody, quickly reveals its percussive side aided by the imposingly dark vocals.
As for the last track, 'When My Breath Turns To Haze', I would be tempted to write that this track closes this opus as well as it started. A long neoclassical and melancholic introduction progressively combined with a voice reciting on an almost ritual tone and the addition of cold waves of keyboard… participate to the mysterious and coldness of the whole atmosphere.
As one could expect, 'Harvest of Winds' easily finds its place next to 'Remergence'...

This 10" is limited to 350 copies in black vinyl and comes in a very nice cover using an aesthetic that reminds 'Remergence'.

Highly recommended!

Nathalie F.
Autumn 2004

Contacts:
Dawn and Dusk Entwined: dawnanddusk.wolfrune.org
Athanor: arsregia.free.fr