VOXUS IMP. - Idafeld - CD - 9 tracks - Eis & Licht Dokument#1- 2005

Originally released as a limited lp in 1998, 'Idafeld' from the German act Voxus Imp. has just been reissued as a cd (including a bonus track) in an elegant six-panel digipack. It is, actually, the first reference in a new series of original tapes/lp documents sold out for a long time and reissued through Eis & Licht (Dokument#1).

'Idafeld', rooted to the 'Völuspá' (one of the poems of the Elder Edda, which are the main handwritten sources of the Germanic myth), but also symbol of the 'Eternity' in classical Icelandic literature, is a reflection about Nordic mythology throughout ritual music. Its expression via an original ritual-music, mostly based upon electronic sounds but that manage to create a mystic and archaic atmosphere.

The opening track 'Opfergang' begins on ritual and organic bases with subdued percussions, then evolves to more percussive sonorities mixed with neoclassical melodies… the brief appearance of a male vocals (in old German?) crystallises intensity before plunging again into ritual.
The following tracks explore the same mystical atmosphere; they are built upon percussive (metallic, wooden) elements, a tense bass ('Speermerkung'), subtle electronic sound collages, fields recordings, samples, drones, swathes of keyboards, trumpet sounds, nature sounds, historical samples,… Whether the compositions are symphonic ('Speermerkung') or more dark ambient oriented ('Uruz'), all contain a meditative essence… which is not easy to capture at first listen, either for someone who is not versed into Nordic Mythology and Icelandic Legends, nor German speaking. Nevertheless, the musical richness of this album and its overall strong ritual character makes this document an unclassifiable record... hence, interesting (not to say, indispensable).

A first reference in a series (whose claim is more than respectable in such times of 'good music penury') that augures the best for the forthcoming reissues… as much for the interest and the pertinence (and the fact it can reach a larger audience nowadays) of the music released than for the quality of the reissue… the music having been edited and re-mastered.

Nathalie F.
Summer 2005

Contacts:
Voxus Imp.: www.mjoelnir-tonkunst.de
Eis & Licht: www.eislicht.com