tempobet yeni adresi
like this cd review

23/06/2014 : QLAY - The Swan the Horse and the Black Matter

QLAY

The Swan the Horse and the Black Matter

MusicCD
AcousticDroneElectroExperimentalNeoclassicalUnclassifiable

[95/100]   

Self-released
23/06/2014, Peter GEYSELS

Qlay was founded in 2009 from a “violent artistic inner impulse”. It started as an atmospheric folk one man band (cello, guitar, loop station) incarnated in the French musician Quentin Gendrot. Later drummer Simon Renault (Warattah, Thousand Ravens,...) and bass player Geoffrey “Shob” Neau (Eths, Thousand Ravens, Kubiack,...) joined him and the project evolved in to a powerful rock trio. Qlay however can still be seen and heard in it’s original form from time to time.

It isn’t easy to described te musicof Qlay. As a harsh progressive rock/metal band they are influenced by kinds of music. From electronic pop to extreme metal, along with jazz, classical and world music.The result: cutting guitar riffs, heavy and powerful bass and drums, mesmerizing cellos, and a versatile and aerial voice, switching between joyful melodies and rageful screamings.

“The Swan the Horse and the Black Matter” (2013) is the first EP of Qlay but already we have here a beatifully finished product. All songs on this EP tell one story, dark and full of suspence. “The Swan the Horse and the Black Matter” talks about passions and feelings, the relatioship between people, nightmares turned into fantasies (“Sleepless”, impulses of vengeance unfulfilled (“Voice of the Adversaries” and the scceptance of frustration of what is beyond our control, like death (“My Grief”).

The title of this EP itself gives an introduction on the story in the five songs. The swan and the horse are two iconic animals, the first is a symbol of beauty and femininity, and the other represents virility and power. These two figures also represent death in their own way, the swan by his famous dirge (explicitly portrayed in "Swan"), and the horse by the way it is shown in the introduction to the album, "Dead Horses "which is the result of a dream.

"Dark matter" is Qlay itself. A kind of strange and dark clay, it represents our childish desire to create and build, build relationships between things and concepts, which at first does not necessarily match, or even are opposed. Here, for example the swan and the horse, male and female. As a way, perhaps, to describe their love for mixing different musical styles and jumping between the different emotions expressed in the music.

“Chevaux Morts” (Dead Horses). As the title sugests it creates a dark and unfamiliar atmosphere. It stands out a bit of the rest of ‘the story’ told on this album, but it grabs your attention, it makes you curious for more.

In “Sleeples” the story starts to unveil. The voice and text, the melancholy cello and soft percussion are the basic ingredients that come together with a very unique and personal result.

In “Voice of the Adversaries” the mood changes. Can I say a cozy atmosphere? More groovy rhythms, maybe even jazzy. It’s not easy to put a precise genre on the music of Qlay, but it never sounds messy. It’s a well chosen path. And again in this song voice and cello take a beatiful lead in the story told.

"Swan" is again an istrumental piece. Relatively simple but very beautiful, this musical elegy brings a melancholy moment in the story.

The last chapter, the conclusion of the journey, “My Grief” is a well chosen song to finish this story. It concludes the story, it’s an heroic ending, but not the end. After listening to this song you just star craving at the follow up.

 

In short, discovering the music of Qlay was an eye, and ear, opener. A slap in the face but with a silk glove. I fell in love (ok, a Gothic love in black lace, but that’s me) and I hope te hear more of them soon.

Peter GEYSELS
23/06/2014


 

Next reviews
SHIREEN • Unmarked EP
PHILIPPE MORA • The Beast Within
HATCHLING • Other EP
PIETER NOOTEN • CLASSICS: Sleeps with the fishes
YOUNG KNIVES • Sick Octave
STUART ROSENBERG • The Pope Of Greenwich Village
IVY & GOLD • Eye of the Storm EP
THE DEVIL & THE UNIVERSE • What Time is Love?
• Deadline 25/5
AMBERIAN DAWN • Magic Forest

 

Same genre: ACOUSTIC
CELESTIAL NORTH • When The Gods Dance
MERCYFUL HEAVENS • For Now
DEZ MONA & B.O.X • LUCY
SUNDAECRUSH • A Real Sensation
THE DEMON RIND • Lonely This Evening
ARMSTRONG • Under Blue Skies
DAVID J • Thoughts And Prayers
FRED ABONG • Pulsing Ep
DRAGON WELDING • Dragon Welding
PAUL MADDOG AND HIS BAND AISLING • Winter In London

 

Same genre: DRONE
STAATSEINDE • Crazy Earthlings Collab Tape - Episode II
THE MARY HART ATTACK • The Falling Sun
PHALLUS DEI • Black Dawn
DANIELLE DE PICCIOTTO & ALEXANDER HACKE • Perseverantia
NADJA • The Stone is Not Hit By The Sun, Nor Carved With A Knife
BLACKWOOD • As the World Rots Away
GLERAKUR • Can't You Wait
THORN 1 • The Leave of Leaves
MICHEL BANABILA • Early Works/Things Popping Up From The Past
RICARDO DONOSO • Quintesence

 

Same genre: ELECTRO
ENZO KREFT • Dictator
ARBEID ADELT! • Herrie
KRIEG-B • War Drums' Resonance
PLACEBO EFFECT • Galleries Of Pain
FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY • Mechviruses
ANY SECOND • Nicht Allein
DARKVOLT • The Time Device
ENZO KREFT • Hey Mr Dictator
AKALOTZ • Angry Body Machine
LUSIFER'S AID • Take It From Here

 

Same genre: EXPERIMENTAL
SUBJECT • Who Will Save Belgium?
BENE GESSERIT • Insanely Live
MOTOR!K • 4
CONFORMIST FEAT. H O R S E S • Heddiw
EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN • 40 Years Einsturzende Neubauten at Ancienne Belgique - Brussels - B (20+21.06.2022)
ANALFABETISM • Rotvälta
DEAR DEER / EMBERS • Split
JESU • When I Was Small
ALSO • Live in Celovec
LUKE LUND • Hopium

 

Same genre: NEOCLASSICAL
CAVERNA DELLE ROSE • Elysian Chants
NICHOLAS LENS & NICK CAVE • L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S
PETER BJARGO (ARCANA) • Structures and Downfall
AIMAPROJECT • Di AimA Il Segno
AIMA • Haiku Irregolari In Forma Di Musica
LISA MORGENSTERN • Chameleon
ILLUMININE | WOUTER DEWIT • Cultuurcentrum Mechelen | 27.10.2017
ALICE IN NEVERLAND • L'ile aux Trésors
STERNLUMEN • Sternlumen
ATARAXIA • Deep Blue Firmanent

 

Same genre: UNCLASSIFIABLE
RUMMELSNUFF & ASBACH • Rummelsnuff & Asbach
FANTASTIQUE.NIGHT XLVII • MOLLY NILSSON, MARY OCHER, MENAGE A TROIS, RODOLPHE COSTER
VARIOUS ARTISTS • Ni D'Eve Ni D'Adam
MONSTER YOUTH • Lost Dream, Cool Fire
TUXEDOMOON • CLASSICS: At Twilight
THE THE • CLASSICS : Soul Mining
XTC • CLASSICS: Skylarking (Corrected)
THE FALL • Creative Distortion
BROWN REINIGER BODSON • Clear Tears, Troubled Waters
APHEX TWIN • Syro

Music reviews

04
08
CODE INDIGO
Endgame - The Best Moves
22
07
RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY
Strange Kind Of Paradise
28
06
S.Y.P.H.
Album 4
27
06
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
Some Dreams
26
06
BRIDES
Sandcastle
24
06
THE LIGHT DREAMS
Málverk

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

NEWS

08
08
35 years of Head/Down with MOEV
01
08
This month, 42 years ago, Nitzer Ebb recorded their first demo Basic Pain Procedure!
30
07
On this day, 46 years ago, British punk rocker Johnny Rotten appeared on BBC TV's 'Juke Box Jury'.
29
07
MARIE ANN HEDONIA Weaves A Cinematic Web Of Destruction In New Music Video
29
07
“Nothing For Nothing” Marks Dark, Triumphant Return of Dirk Da Davo's Neon Electronics
28
07
27 years Obsolete with Fear Factory!

Concert reviews

22
04
GAVIN FRIDAY
Live at 404 / De Vooruit - Ghent - 01/04.2025
28
11
BELGIAN ELECTROWAVE IS NOT DEAD 3
Belgian ElectroWave Is Not Dead 3

GET A COPY OF OUR MAGAZINE
SEND TO YOUR HOME

INTERVIEWS

29
07
EX-VOTO
“Decisions. In a modern time. Transmissions. From the inner mind.“
21
07
RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY
“Oh who gave us this today. Will see tomorrow fade away.“
18
07
THE RED MOON MACABRE
“The Dance Of Death. Calamity Cold. The Dance Of Death. Living In A Dark World.”
17
07
GHOSTING
“And the shadows float ahead.“
14
07
CRYPTOCHROMA
'I have a profound passion for dystopian, post apocalyptic and scientific themes.'

PHOTOS

23
07
DUCTAPE
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
BLOODY DEAD AND SEXY
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
SKYND
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
ROME
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
REIN
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
DIE KRUPPS
Amphi Festival Keulen
23
07
HELL BOULEVARD
Amphi Festival Keulen

ADVERTISE
IN PEEK-A-BOO

VIDEO CLIPS

08
08
VARSOVIE
Killing Anna
07
08
AUSTRA
Utopia
06
08
ATARI TEENAGE RIOT
Adrenaline
05
08
MICHAEL ZODOROZNY
14th Street Union Square Station
04
08
PORNO KARAOKE
The Bus (Live)
03
08
ELEKTROKOHLE
Introspective
02
08
CONTRE JOUR
Spiral