Eric Hilton – A Sky So Close
“This record is an atmosphere, a state of mind”, says Eric Hilton, one of the founders of Thievery Corporation, about his latest album “A Sky So Close”, to be released this Friday on Montserrat House, the Washington, DC based label which is curated by him. The album will come out eight months after his compelling “Midnight Ragas”. And the 12 tracks on offer actually are creating a certain atmosphere, sort of a restrained sumptuousness which at first seems to be contradictory, but it all falls into place. The first two pieces, “Akasha” and “The Dharma Lovers”, both excel in downtempo bliss, hazily trotting along. Layers of samples and live playing make this a fascinating listen, with more than a hint to some Asian exotic alternative sounds, including some spare vocals, like on the soothing “Breathe Me In”.
There is more sitar and some Hindi chants on “Lalita”, which also features Brazilian singer Natalia Clavier, who can also be heard on three tracks on “Midnight Ragas” and on Thievery Corporation LPs like “Saudade” from 2014. And the raga-like exoticism continues on “The Endless Raga”, actually recalling some of the earlier Thievery works. There is a slightly more uptempo track here as well; the somewhat extolling drum work and strings on “Pondering Soul” make for a grand cinematic sound, albeit with a more elaborate stance. Beautiful. I especially dig the title track with its glorious expansiveness and percussive turn. And the shuffling groove on “Kali” is also not to be missed. Natalia returns for this one, adding more sensuousness and also a certain vulnerability to the mix.
The incredibly laidback, relaxing atmosphere on the album continues on the last four pieces on the album, even though “The Emerald Door” slightly veers off towards some drum and bass ground. But still, the meditation continues to work. Is this what we were listening to after hours, returning from a weekend-long club spree in the 90s? These memories somehow come to mind on the more earthy, but still soothing pieces like “Behind My Eyes (Reprise)”. Eric, who also launches a high end, custom rotary DJ mixer by the way, closes out his consistently mesmerizing LP with “The Lotus Gate” on a seemingly feisty note. And repeat!
