Ugur Isik - Cello Invocations

Although Istanbul-born Ugur Isik is very an extremely gifted musician and cello player, I really do wonder under what circumstances one would want to listen to this album. Perhaps, like me on a whim and just took the chance, and never to play it again. To say the mostly-instrumental "Cello Invocations" is dark, depressing and doom-laden would be taking things too far. But it is most certianly dark. The very sound of a solo cello - at times multi-tracked - in minor keys will always make me think of a scary movie. However the lead instrument is topped off at times with some percussion and sporadic vocals, which does take some of these well-crafted pieces to different level.

Ugur's influences at work here are spiritual, with Islamic Sufi, Christian and Jewish "rememberance cermonies" being at the core of the inspiration of this work, which gives an indication towards the nature of less than jovial feel of the album. Not that all music has to be jovial, far from it. Make of this what you will, it's not my bag, but I will hang onto it in case the mood takes me. But I hope that doesn't happen for a while.