THE MASKIT CHAMBER
Heaven Machine

10 songs / 53 minutes TMC - 3 -

I had rather high expectations for this CD, as The Maskit Chamber is the solo project of Gayle Ellett, member of American jazz progsters Djam Karet. So I volunteered to write this review, and my brother's warnings about the lack of substance didn't really bother me as he is notoriously unable to discover the genius of bands like Hughscore, Thinking Plague, Happy Family and the likes. But for once, alas, he was right. Solo projects are the double-edged sword. On the one hand, the artist is totally free of pursuing his creative visions, but on the other hand, the lack of proper instrumentalists gives a cold and clinical atmosphere to the music. And the latter prevails unfortunately on "Heaven Machine". It starts out with the opener 'Italian Horror Movie Soundtrack #6' that doesn't give me the creeps at all. The organ sound fitful, considering the circumstances, but the guitar and especially the electronic drums take the last remnants of spookiness out of this tune. 'Floating Arpeggios' is an exercise in pretentiousness, whereas songs like 'Free Tibet' or 'Indian In The City' try to combine ethno sounds with ambient music, to no avail again. Really embarrassing is the 'Bill & Monica Shuffle'. First of all this story is so old nobody is talking about it anymore, and second if at least the whole thing has some groove. Only highlight is the dark, brooding, gloomy 'Kosovo', which combines ominous organ sounds with weird distortions plus some news broadcasts. All in all a very disappointing album, and only the fact that it has been released on a small 250 copies editions will prevent Mr. Ellett from sitting on a heap of unsold CDs. I really don't know who wants to listen to this album, so rather give Ellett's main band Djam Karet a chance. 3 weak points only.