“Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face with stars to fill my dream…” – Led Zeppelin.
Stephan Weber and Oliver Soerup offer a uniquely imaginative ode to Led Zeppelin’s infamous song Kashmir for this latest video release. The familiar elements ring true throughout, but the way the duo have crafted and presented the whole thing introduces a captivating new experience that holds tight to your attention and interest throughout.
The first thing you notice from an audio perspective is the near-acoustic portrayal of the song – the set-up is light and easy to visualize in a live setting. The vocal pays a fitting tribute to the original arrangement and style, the whole track in fact does the same, but all the while there’s an enjoyable sense of newness to appreciate – a new perspective, a new angle; from which the song appears to have some entirely different qualities and intricacies.
The accompanying video is a huge part of what makes this release so fascinating and entertaining. It feels, in many ways, like a short film. Towards the latter half of this six minute journey you do indeed start to really connect with the emotional aspects and the musical skill – this fusion of passion and a sheer love for the art-form shines all the more brightly as things progress. The final minute sees this passion overtake – space and quiet commence, yet among this that leading vocal reaches some incredibly soulful peaks and helps bring the recording to a mighty and memorable finish.
The second time you listen, now that those layers of familiarity have been created in the mind – this is when you really start to break down the details and get lost in the entire composition. The opening moments showcase a pair of artists willing to take their time with the music and the moment – much in the way that Led Zeppelin did back in the day. There’s no rush to get to the point, the ambiance needs those bars in which to breathe – the atmospheric delicacy is crucial in paving the way to that comforting moment of musical resolve.
As musicians, both Weber and Soerup appear dedicated and skillful – they each pour the necessary drive and attention to detail into the soundscape, yet without veering off in any unnecessary or irrelevant direction; as is sometimes the case with contemporary ‘covers’. The entire video is enthralling from start to finish – a joy to lose yourself within, and well-crafted to the point that you really feel no need to distinguish this from (or compare it to) the original or other versions – instead, you quickly start to witness it as its own poetic expression; its own thing, made up of a completely new kind of energy.
Dream On is another beautiful release from Stephan Weber. Check out more from the artist on Soundcloud.
