Grey Mirrors (A-FRAME 002)

Grey Mirrors Parts 1 to 8

Released September 2004 on A-Frame

Review by Bill Binkelman

"Grey Mirrors (the work of Andy Condon, a.k.a. The Glimmer Room) is a rarity indeed - a long-form ambient/EM work that is not centered around drones or drawn-out soundscapes but instead evolves and morphs through various stages, including overt EM, retro European synth music, new age-like melodic keyboard music, floating ambient, electronica, and briefly flirts with environmental ambient. The integration of sound effects (e.g. birdsong, church bells, single-engine airplanes flying overhead) with the assorted musical sections turns this remarkable yet hard-to-describe achievement into something akin to a musical voyage through a maze of time and space, each "area" with its own appeal but lacking obvious cohesion. However, at the risk of sounding like I am contradicting myself, this lack of coherence works in the CD's favor, as it delightfully traipses from one end of a spectrum to another, throwing the listener into what can only be described as pleasant state of wonderment and pleasant confusion."

"EM and ambient fans who prefer their recordings easy to assimilate and with a high degree of continuity would be well advised that grey mirrors can be somewhat disorienting. For example, from the opening retro synth cascades that dance cheerfully amidst birdsong, the listener is next transported, via solemn echoed synth chorals, to a sacred cathedral where a ceremony of profound worship is underway. The majesty contained in this section of the recording has to be experienced to be appreciated; these are some of the most spiritual "feeling" choral effects I've ever heard. From this holy place, muted drum beats and electronic washes emerge and turn the music into a buzzing, whirring miasma of disturbing noir-ish ambient textures, encircling the listener like a huge cyber-anaconda, aglow with menacing circuitry; that is, until some airplanes come cruising overhead (they sound like Spitfires or P-51 Mustangs to my ears). Then the heavy drums are left to merge with the chorals which have now taken on an air of haunting mystery, as the drums and percussive effects sound like the labored exhalations of a large creature. Soaring analog keyboards, quavering and dipping over and around the other elements, cry our forlornly. [NOTE: At this point, we are only at the 1/3 mark of the forty-three minute long CD, folks!] Percolating synth notes, sparkling in the background, lighten the mood ever so subtly, aided by gentle birdsong and slowly the music loses its tension as the drums disappear and the soft tones take center stage along with solo chorals."

"There is lots more music I could detail, of course, as there are moments of contemporary electronica, more retro EM goodness, trippy passages of bassy dance beats merged with fluttery electronics and quavering heavenly chorals, flowing keyboards adorned with quasi-Berlin sequence notes, shuffling midtempo contemporary trap kit beats, and all of it winds down with the sound of church bells in the distance and birdsong again."

"Others have probably done a better job than yours truly at describing the music on grey mirrors. I can only sit in wonderment at how in the world Condon managed to pull this off. The "liner notes" of this CD are actually printed on a sheet of parchment, sealed with sealing wax, in which Condon addresses the how, why and wherefore of this album; a story of how an artist lets go of any constraints and treats the creation of music as a fluid living entity in and of itself, as if the music was taking the composer along for the ride."

"Technically, the CD also sounds amazing with some of the best mixing I've heard in several years (Are headphones a must for this CD? Oh my yes!) Andy Condon deserves accolades for blazing a trail and laying his artist's soul bare and doing it in such a way that he leaves no doubt as to his commitment to his own muse and the large universal soul of art as a state of being for humanity. This is an important piece of work and I urge all EM and enlightened ambient fans to sit up and pay attention to it. Highly recommended."

David Law, Synth Music Direct

"To say this album came as something of a surprise is a vast understatement, as certainly for the first twenty minutes it sounds absolutely nothing like his only other album 'Tomorrows Tuesday'. That album was rather commercial (in the best sense of the word) but with the occasional reflective moment. It contained a number of short tracks with no apparent connection. This album however has just one track, forty-two minutes long which constantly changes from one 'mood' to the next. It is a highly emotional and sensitive work that seems to delve into every corner of the mind."

"We begin with a beautiful dawn chorus. The sound of birds then mixes with church bells and some deep drones which could even be vast gong sounds. It's all rather peaceful and even spiritual. Little melodic motifs shine through then echo away mutating interestingly as they go. A bright sequence starts up mixing with the motifs perfectly, in no way detracting from the exquisite peaceful atmosphere already created. In the sixth minute this all fades away and we get massed wordless and very ethereal vocal colouring, again with a rather spiritual feel. There are then some faint effects as if someone is working in a garden, the image that came to my mind was of a monk planting tress but I am sure it will vary from listener to listener. A slow rhythm starts up in the ninth minute over deep metallic pads and suddenly things have taken a rather dark turn as if from an optimistic frame of mind we are now delving into those darker areas of the brain where it would be probably best to keep away."

"The sound of a plane flies above and then we get heavy breathing over more wordless ethereal vocals but this time they have a rather melancholy edge. This is simply stunning, stunning stuff. In the thirteenth minute another exquisitely beautiful looped melody appears then the sounds of the birds return as if we are shaking off the demons and are again at one with the world and in an optimistic though rather reflective frame of mind. From here we journey into the next section on the back of the most forceful rhythm on the album so far, and all rather awesome it is too. This is then accompanied by yet another beautiful lead line. Gradually though we start to slip again into the darker side. The drones become deeper and all rhythm and melody departs. This moment soon passes however as another combination of melodies and rhythms come forward that will get your head gently nodding and soul soaring. It is the first time that hints of his previous album come to the fore but used with incredible care and sensitivity. From this section of the work we get a return of the looped melody from earlier, gradually building, more rhythm being added until we are chugging along in a carefree, optimistic mood. Slow melodies float over the top caressing the mind until at the half our mark things become rather reflective again and gentle pads carefully carry us forward. We are gradually awoken from our reverie by another bright melodic sequence which fades away as we finish the album back with birdsong, buzzing bees and church bells."

"I know this sounds somewhat pompous but it is one of the most mature albums I have ever heard composed by an Electronic Musician, coming straight from the heart, covering both the optimistic as well as tragic side of life in a way that never becomes remotely twee and yet seems to connect directly with the listener- it certainly did with me. It is an amazing work and could very well go down as something of a classic (especially the first twenty minutes). And no it isn't on my label so I'm not just plugging my own product! It reveals Andy C, the man behind The Glimmer Room, to be a true musician of rare talent and I really hope that this album will give him the credit he amply deserves."

"Mention must also be made of the packaging. Even though it is a conventional CD it comes in a DVD box with a sepia photograph of a backwater country lane. Inside the case is a piece of parchment individually sealed with sealing wax! When you break the seal you can discover more about the process behind the making of the album It is quite an interesting read that amongst other things reveals that for every minute of music an hour of work went into creating it. (DL)"