Mortality has been a subject of music, ever since the tragedians of antiquity had a chorus enter the stage for the first time. Finitude demands expressions. Melos Kalpa sounds like a tranquil work of mourning: solemn, festive, and inwardly torn. Perhaps, this was not intended. The ensemble was » formed in 2019 around the vision of Tom Relleen«. In the same year, the quintet recorded their eponymous debut, which is now being released by Hands in the Dark, a label for post-minimalist beauties. »Melos Kalpa« consists of five stripped-down compositions, which would do any Sophocles’ adaptation proud. The ensemble creates a mythological atmosphere via modernist means.
It’s a melancholic celebration of sound: reel-to-reel tapes meet strings, mallets, guitars, and a Buchla. The pieces feel like Post-Rock that doesn’t urge for discharge. They rest in themselves. Those open for subtle pleasures may find a small treasure in »Melos Kalpa«. Especially the platter’s second half, the 22-minute »Melos Rhythm«, is among the most beautiful things I’ve heard all year. Yet, the recordings have changed since 2019 – for the band as well. Tom Relleen died in 2020. The album is a bittersweet testament and a sparkling document of the voyage on which we all are. One is tempted to quote poets, for it leaves one speechless. »Many things are vast. Yet, nothing / vaster than Man.«
Melos Kalpa
