US project BAPTIZER is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Jim Baptizer, mainly a standalone venture but with occasional guest appearances from others I understand. The EP “Nativity” dates back to December 2014, and was released through US label Silber Records.

This two track EP doesn’t have all that much in common with conventional music, and arguments can be made for these creations being soundscapes rather than music as such, where the mood, atmosphere and a certain theatrical flair takes precedence over melodies and harmonies.

Opening and title track Nativity is a 13 minutes long journey, initially opening with a gentle drone underscoring bird sounds and the joyful sounds of a baby, then developing towards a more sickly, otherworldly atmosphere with more dominant drones while the bird sounds fade away, then concluding on a more majestic note as the sickly timbres from the backing drone fades away and a subtle majestic voice texture is applied instead.

The second and concluding piece, The Demons of Herod Hunt in Vain, is a radically different affair, opening with dark, machine-like brooding sounds, ominous and haunting, where traces of whispered voices and talking gradually increase in intensity while the darker backdrop recedes in intensity, concluding with an arrangement of eerie voices, almost angelic layered voice effects underscoring while the initial dark and oppressive drone backdrop have just about faded to silence.

Those fond of music made in a more or less conventional manner will probably find this production rather less than appealing, but for those fond of soundscapes and sound effects assembled in a fairly theatrical manner and in a way that invites to associations should find this production to be rather appealing I’d suggest, and in my view those who recognize themselves in this description should take the time to investigate this production.

 
My rating: 60/100