Adem
Love And Other Planets

THE REVIEW

He appeared domestic.
Now he gravitates in space.
Roots in the earth: bucolic aromas and hearthside intimacy.
Then oblique flights: new flavors and soft effervescent tenderness.

Adem, after his time with the Fridge, introduced himself with a debut album with a programmatic title (Homesongs - 2004) that captured the attention of the enthusiasts of the bustling nufolk scene.
The present sees him now attempting a less earthly, more ethereal and volatile path.
Like the element around which his new creations gravitate.

A cosmogony sustained by details.
In the structure of songs that reveal an inclination for pop writing, sustained by the small balances put in place by very accurate arrangements, the intimate thriftiness of the folktronica soul survives.
Yet, it is opened wide, as with a deep breath, towards more open spaces.
Illuminated by warm light, crossed by fresh currents.

It starts off well.
The rarefaction of the air is a perfect condition and the fragile sounds of “Warning Call” cross it with a “simplicity” still anchored to the ground, which delivers us a deep but delicate song.
The takeoff phase continues on the arpeggios of an acoustic guitar to lead us towards luminous openings that, in “Something’s Going To Come”, immediately enter the circulation, radiating light melodic gusts.

Then…
Chimes and hand claps.
Fragrant rhythmic carpets crossed by accurate vocal harmonies.
Trembling backgrounds and sighs.
Discreet electronic particles that coexist with guitars and harmonium.
Cello and violin, vibraphone: to steer towards more uncertain areas of space, into sparser and deeper folds.

Because the journey follows a zigzagging route, inside a spacecraft assembled with modest elements, yet surprisingly agile and functional.
And each planet shows a different face of the complicated and contradictory system at the center of which shines the mysterious feeling that is both the propellant and the goal of the journey.

Adem's songs describe it now by resorting to an almost dreamlike atmosphere, relaxed yet punctuated by a stuttering background of voices (X Is For Kisses), now rhythmically hopping on a snapping hand clap among the small sound spheres irradiated by vibraphone and percussion (Launch Yourself). Or they attempt to probe its most hidden areas with the minimal equipment of an intimate approach, aboard the sound of a harmonium (Love And Other Planets).

And the journey continues, retrieving fragments during an exploration that will encounter other spaces, sometimes still echoing restless melancholies (Craschlander) or seeming to reproduce more relaxed surfaces, illuminated by the light of soft guitar arpeggios and whispered choirs (Sea Of Tranquility).

It proceeds through constant changes of course, to discover the changing aspect of this solar system. That goes from the desolate atmosphere of “Last Transmissions From The Lost Missions” to the radiant melodic vitality that crosses “These Lights Are Meaningful”, up to a rarefied yet hospitable planet, where it wouldn’t be too improbable to meet an old friend like Robert Wyatt. Smiling as he listens to the harmonium chords surrounding Adem's voice, so close to his, in “Human Beings Gather ‘Round” that closes the journey.

The spacecraft, upon its return, has delivered to your chronicler some artifacts that you can listen to with a simple click.
For a complete report of the mission you need to contact Domino, which released the 12 songs of Adem in May 2006.
The rating gravitates between 3 and 4, also depending on the mood present in your atmosphere.

C U on another planet.