REVIEW: Art of Noise, The Seduction of Claude Debussy
(ZTT/Universal)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Take a dead composer, a deep voiced narrator, a rapper and a few opera singers, and what do you have? Well, if you're Art of Noise, you have The Seduction of Claude Debussy. Most of you know Art of Noise through songs such as "Beat Box" and the Dragnet theme. Yet, anyone who's gone beyond the singles and dived into the world of an Art of Noise album has found themselves in a completely new world. Now, after a 9-year absence, the band has reformed to create a new soundscape based around their apparent love of the turn of the century composer Claude Debussy.
These days, anyone with a computer can generate dance tracks with the blink of an eye, and on the surface, Art of Noise doesn't sound as remarkable today as they once did. But, technology doesn't breed musical or artistic talent, and the vision of Art of Noise goes beyond the simple satellite blips and deep bass of their peers. Their impeccable judgment allows them to transcend the current vapid "electronica" sound they helped to create. This is music first and foremost. The dance beats and atmosphere are simply tools in Art of Noise's arsenal.
Of course, any description of a band on paper that uses the word "transcend" seems a bit elitist and abstract right off the bat. Yet, unlike their counterparts in the world of abstract visual arts, Art of Noise is high brow music for everyman. Even if you've never heard of Debussy, you can appreciate the songs. Anyone who's been drawn in by a song like "Moments in Love" realizes that Art of Noise can create the beautiful out of the abstract. Consider "Dream in Colour" from this album: The track is expansive. It ranges from operatic voices to dreamy choruses to lush ambient dance to an engaging jungle beat over the course of 8-and-a-half minutes. The deep sullen voice of John Hurt narrates you through the songs. "Imagine," the narrator implores you, "Debussy dreaming in colours." He pulls you in further into the hypnotic mix and instructs as you fall "deeper into the color of a dream." As the trance is completed, the narrator snaps his fingers, and you begin the experience with the next track, "On Being Blue."
At the start of the song, the narrator guides you to consider how music might be used to suggest colors. The song is a soft ode that features a beautiful operatic voice, a quiet Spanish guitar, and shimmering, mournful strings that create an incredibly stark, deep, and sad atmosphere. It is like diving into a pool of cobalt blue -- which is exactly the song's intent.
Halfway through the album, another voice is added to the chorus, the narrator and the opera singers. The voice is none other than the rapper, Rakim. At first, this seems like a strange pairing, but given Art of Noise's original classic "Beat Box" and the dance remixes included with the re-release of Eric B. and Rakim's Paid in Full album, a song like "Megaforce" is entirely understandable. Musically, it works remarkably well. Not only does Rakim have one of the purest voices in rap, but Art of Noise assembles a beat as well as any DJ. It may not exactly be the right style for pumping out of a lowrider, but it would fit right in with US3 or Digable Planets.
All told, despite it's odd collaborations and obscure subject matter, The Seduction of Claude Debussy is simply a masterwork. Art of Noise manages to maintain continuity throughout the entire album. The tracks can be scrutinized note by note or played casually in the background. It is doubtful if the stodgy world of orchestral music could appreciate this album, but fans of the Art of Noise can embrace The Seduction of Claude Debussy. However, unless you're into ambient and electronic music, casual fans who remember the old Art of Noise hits are better off picking up their excellent "Best of" collection before jumping feet first into this new release.
