Karda Estra - Voivode Dracula

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Karda Estra - Voivode Dracula

Artist:	Karda Estra
Title:	Voivode Dracula
Label:	Cyclops CYCL 143
Length(s):	43 minutes
Year(s) of release:	2004
Month of review:	[02/2005]

Line up

Richard Wileman - guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion, bouzouki, rastrophone
with
Ileesha Bailey - vocals, breathing 3 on 5
Helen Dearnley - violin
Caron Hansford - oboe, cor anglais, breathing 2 on 5
Zoe King - flute, alto sax, clarinet on 2, breathing 1 on 5
Michelle Williams - clarinet on 5

Tracks

1)	Voivode Dracula	9.14
2)	Lucy Festina Lente	6.36 MP3
3)	The Land Beyond The Forest	6.07
4)	Mina	8.12
5)	Kisses For Us All	13.18

Summary

Wilemann continues to write and record albums under the guise of Karda Estra. He has an 'unprogressive' tendency to work with women. Did you notice? And is Caron, Carol?

The music

Well, what can you say about the next Karda Estra album, that has not been written down before. As always, the music sounds like Karda Estra and can be located somewhere between The Enid, Steve Hackett and the somber side of Hollywood soundtracks (Elfman), but with a chamber orchestra set-up instead of a full-blown symphony orchestra. This has nothing to do with money is my first guess, the intimacy is necessary for the largely subdued music. Plenty of dissonants and darkness on the opening title track. Plenty of repetitivity here, making the melodic minimalist also an influence to reckon with. Most prominent though is the romantic feeling that pervades the music. Not the sugary romance of Claydermann, but of the romantic composers of the 19th century and a bit after.

Lucy Festina Lente has the vocals of Ileesha Bailey, through which I can imagine people are reminded of bands such as the Cocteau Twins. There is more pace and more variation in pace here, and the piano has taken over the lead, although violin and wind instruments still have their place, occasionally. At the end, the music gets a plodding, foreboding feel, and for a Karda Estra, it is quite loud (I would like to hear more of this). The Land Beyond The Forest is the next one up. The music is largely subdued in the beginning, dreamy. The piano sounds somewhat far away, and I hear keyboards droning. Again, the music has a dark brooding feel, this time led by the oboe.

With Mina the soothing voice of Bailey returns. There is a certain fragileness in the music here, the piano playing almost tender. Then the music becomes heavier again, I even hear something akin electric guitar distortion in the back. Nothing to get worried about though. The end has a bit of reverb treatment used to good effect.

Kisses For Us All is the conclusion, with its over 13 minutes the longest one on the album. The three vampires (as guests?) each have their turn here, which is why three women are credited with breathing above. In between there is plenty of room for dissonance and tension, plenty of percussion too, especially of KE. The middle part is rather romantic again, frolic even at times.

Conclusion

Although the albums of Karda Estra have a strong overlap in sound (the music he makes is extremely recognizable), there is something about this album that makes me like it more than the others. The somberness, the foreboding, brooding feeling, and the occasional sharp bite on top the melodic vocalizations of Bailey, which tend to have a lulling effect and be rather static by themselves. There is plenty of melody and subtlety here, as well as more powerful passages to liven things up. References are The Enid, Steve Hackett and a dose of chamber orchestra, but also stuff such as Kaada (Romances with Mike Patton is of a similar nature, although it is more experimental).