Systems / Layers

A Step-by-Step Guide in loving Rachel's:
1. You must expect unexpected beauty in the music. There is a melody that soars above inaudible tones and sporadic audible words. 2. You must expect to be entranced by the composition. 3. You must check out their other works as well as Systems/Layers . . . I recommend "The Sea and The Bells" (based on Pablo Neruda's book of poetry with the same title). I was interested in this album initially because of the collaboration between Rachel's and the SITI Company. I have been interested in Anne Bogart's work for a while now as well as the work of Rachel's. I can't think of two groups that compliment each other better. The music itself is lush and rich and I think would lend itself to a live performance situation. In fact, if I close my eyes and think about this music in relation to live performance, the music allows the listener to imagine a stage of actors moving through time and space. It has this quality where the listener gets the chance to create their own environment... meaning regardless of where the listener is in time and space the environment has the ability to morph to whatever the music is doing. This album marks another interesting collaboration with Shannon Wright. She as a solo performer is amazing and full of this spirit and energy on stage and in her recordings that have that innate ability to touch a listener. "Last Things Last" was my introduction to this album and it continues to be one of my favorite tracks. It slowly builds into this lament of hope and to me is one of the best songs I have heard in 2004. The beauty of Rachel's is that regardless of your musical tastes it has the ability to cross genre. They may be perceived as "classical" by the unaware eye . . . but they bring a fresh perspective that reverses the stoic stance of classical music and makes it something that is part of our existence in our day-to-day experiences.

beautiful avant chamber music:
For a long time, I think that people dismissed Rachel's as a group of indie kids who thought that they could get together and play classical music. After a string of amazing albums, the group shrugged off most of the criticism aimed their way by creating memorable music that mixed an indie-rock sensibility with chamber music and even a bit of extreme experimentation. After their last release, Selenography, I figured that the group had pretty much disappeared (despite various installations here and there over the years), but they're back with Systems/Layers and it's their most realized work yet. As it turns out, the group has been working steadily for the last two years, and the material on this album is the result of that. Through collaboration with the SITI Company for a theater piece of the same name, the group improvised and discussed various pieces, arriving at this 19 track, 62-minute effort. Another unique element of this release is that the group makes use of a lot of field recordings. Perhaps because of the long recording process or the different ideas by different contributors, it feels almost like a musical travelogue of sorts, documenting different places with different music and themes. "Moscow Is In The Telephone" opens the disc with shimmering organ and melancholy strings that gives way to only a solitaire violin playing out over crowd noise. The end of the piece swells slightly, but the whole thing just sort of wanders through quiet sidestreets before coming to an end. "Water From The Same Source" takes a much more structured route, and it's easily one of the best tracks on the release and perhaps one of the best the group has ever done. After building with achingly beautiful strings and quiet cymbals, it shifts back and forth between string and piano melodies while building surely and steadily into a gorgeous climax. There are so many great tracks on the release that you'd have to talk about most of the release to do it justice. Some of the standouts include the subtle, twinkling interplay between strings and piano on "Arterial," the fluttering string quartet and manipulation of "Where_ Have_ All_ My_ Files_ Gone?" and the absolutely haunting "Last Things Last" (which makes nice use of understated vocals). Proving they're not above making a bit of a racket, "Singing Bridge" drops a huge, filtered and distorted bassline and drums that makes you feel like you're listening to something else entirely. It would also be amiss of me not to mention that the piano playing of Rachel Grimes alone on this disc makes for some of the most stunning moments once again. Even when the group strips things down (as on the title track "Systems/Layers" or on "Anytime Soon"), it's her work on the piano that keeps things together and seems to be the backbone of the beautiful album. With the field recordings, the release at times resembles the more sublime moments of Set Fire To Flames, but with more strings and a slightly less bleak sound. Hopefully it won't take the group quite as long to do their next release, but when it comes out this well, I suppose I can wait. (from almost cool music reviews)

Very Original:
This is an awesome CD. The mood tends to be very melancholy. Even/odd, #6 is probably my favorite instrumental song on the CD. Also at various points throughout the album there are things like sounds on a street, people talking to each other, etc. that just add to the mood. No. 13, the vocal song on the CD, Last Things Last is a very beautiful song filled with emotion. I would highly recommend this CD to people who like indie music thats a bit more on the classical side. A very original album!

Like a breeze of cold air from the sea:
I was a little bit worried that I wouldn't like this album so I put off buying it for a long time. Now that I finally did, i cant stop listening to it! Rachel's never fail to amaze me and I'm always left totally floored. They are probably one of the most talented, innovative groups to date. Honestly, there is not another band like them! This album has some resemblence to The Sea And The Bells (incredible album), but it's still very different from the stuff they've done before. It's much more ambient. My favorite song is "Water From The Same Source"...it almost drives me to tears everytime I hear it. That's how beautiful it is.

interesting and varied:
I'm becoming a big Rachel's fan. I heard "Last things last", which is hosted on Epitonic, and then came here to pick up the album. Be warned that the generally tonal and vocal-piano LTL track is not representative of the rest of the album! It's incredibly varied: there are some really interesting electronic experiments (nothing too out there), some jazz-like percussion work, -- it's just an amazing, taste-expanding album.