Black Mask Media presents - Karsten Hamre's - Through Alien Eyes - Volume I
Karsten Hamre returns in 2013 with the release of "Through Alien Eyes".
Introduction from the artist:
With the publication of Volume I of Through Alien Eyes we can finally say that the project has been fully launched, but even though this has now been released it does not mean that the concept for this work will not be continued, on the contrary. “Through Alien Eyes” will continue with future volumes which could cover a specific town, region, country or continent, and as with “Volume I” the aim is to have the project include music, visuals, photo exhibitions and live performances. The photos in this volume was shot in various locations across Europe, and the audio part associated with this publication is sort of an audio documentation of the impressions I’ve had in these places, and the music is inspired by what you can hear around you, though not meant as an exact documentation of what I heard at certain times but merely as a source of inspiration.
My aim has never been to photograph the most known sites in the places I have been to as I have always been more interested in wandering about and photographing things I happen to “stumble” upon, things that may be hidden to some as they are not seen instantly. This is also why I chose the title “Through Alien Eyes”, as I have been the alien in these places. I have been the explorer, and this is your chance to participate in the journey I have taken so far.
Not everyone can see the beauty which walks alone in the dark, a beauty that is both attractive and fascinating in a thousand different ways. To some this is what beauty itself is all about, a beauty filled with a sense of deeper meaning, and although the imagery within these pages has a darker nature they all hold a certain beauty, at least to me.
Beauty can be seen as well as experienced, in the changes of autumn, when the leaves slowly change colour and fall from the branches. Nature holds many beauties, but beauty can also be harsh and in that way it often manifests itself through sorrow, grief, depression and pain.
To me Art is the only and the true way to express the deepness of the emotions I carry inside. Art is a struggle to penetrate as deep as possible into ones soul, and when performing your chosen form of Art you have to work hard to transform your emotions into an everlasting vision, which reflects the true atmosphere of you, your soul and your own personality.
(Karsten Hamre)
Karsten crafts desolate dark ambient sound structures, ornamented by sampled sounds and experimental textures. The end result of this process is an experience categorized perhaps too simply as dark ambient,
though it more closely resembles a dark soundtrack to a movie, or to a life - as seen through alien eyes.
"Through Alien Eyes" is presented in a DVD case accompanied by a A5 soft cover book of 128 pages.
The double CD consist of a total of 20 songs, with a total playing time of 2:03:36
The tracklist is as follows:
Disc One:
1. Beyond The Night
2. A Silent Dream
3. The Hollow Nothing
4. An Empty Image of The World
5. Exploration of the Aftermath
6. Through Time and Space
7. Downwards Alone
8. Forgotten Realm
9. The Other World
10. Ode To An End
Disc Two:
1. Enter Inside
2. Veiled in Stillness
3. A World Reborn
4. A Sense of Wonder
5. Sleepless Days
6. The Imitation of Life
7. Gently Sing and Weep
8. In Remarkable Chambers
9. Uniting Past and Present
10. Darkness Envisioned
