German composer and artist Fred Vanterra first crossed out path back in 2020, with the intoxicating album Mythanien. This year, the creative returns with an intriguing and alluring post-seven-minute composition, in the form of the mysterious and melodic Gold.
Unafraid of taking full command of the audio space, Vanterra showcases his prowess as a unique and rhythmic composer for this work. The track begins with a simple back and forth from a handful of organic instruments, somewhat joyful but repetitive as the very act of mining for gold is reimagined under an intimate and enchanting light.
Created as the accompanying soundtrack to the text adventure Gold Miner, Gold features a brilliantly distinct set-up – something easily recognisable, even after hearing the music just once. The composition undoubtedly has a consistent beating heart, this melodic and rhythmic pairing, but otherwise the work slowly but surely gathers evocative and impressive momentum.
The final third in particular sees the listener immersed in this notably more celebratory, dramatic and multi-layered realm of expression. There are even medieval style vocal tones adding depth and something boldly human and historic to the mix. Meanwhile the dreamier layers of instrumentation present a sense of hypnotic excitement, and its the space created by all of this, the contrast and power incited by the arrangement, that lets an already familiar sound tighten its grip indefinitely.
Download or stream Gold.
