The concept of a prepared instrument or even of experimental, neo classical music may be quite new to some readers, however, to listen to this music as the incredibly intricate and haunting soundscape that it is, is to overcome any need to dissect how the sounds were actually made. To take music as escapism, as entertainment, as a form of expression – a story, a journey – is to let yourself fall completely inside the sound of it.
Samantha Bouquin’s brief but by no means forgettable release Contemplations on Solitude and Strings is a fascinating and often breath taking project. #1 begins in a way that draws you in with its unusual, unfamiliar arena of audio – intense, dark, ever changing, ever unpredictable. #2 offers an alternative atmosphere, the environment becomes less enclosed, more of a field of dreams or possibilities. If #1 is this chamber of emotion and unfamiliar moments, #2 is the very first steps you take to leave. You’re never quite in the safe zone though, the music never lets up, never offers simplicity or notable moments of warmth, but there’s a touch of hope to it on occasion, as well as a touch of many other emotional experiences we encounter in life.
#3 is something of a final scene. Whenever you think the end is near, there’s always some other, unexpected sound or shift in emotion. The depth of the feeling expressed from start to finish is striking – this unstoppable series of waves, exploring solitude, exploring sound, inviting you in but every so often reminding you that you’re a stranger here.
There’s something to be said for creativity that comes through at this sort of magnitude. The drive to create has come from an inner desire to ponder and to express certain thoughts and feelings, as opposed to a desire purely to entertain or to shock. Despite the other worldly essence of this project, there’s something very human about it; something very real in the feelings that are passed on to you as you listen. Well worth experiencing. Samantha Bouquin is a talented and incredibly interesting artist and musician.
Download the music via Bandcamp. Find & follow Samantha Bouquin on Facebook & Twitter. Visit her Website for more information.
