I have always been particularly fascinated by space and astronomy. I find it to be one of the most evocative topics to focus on: I think it is an innate desire of our mind to understand the deep nature of what surrounds us. In this quarantine period, where the space around us is destined to always be the same (at least temporarily) the desire to embark on a journey is greater than ever. Although it is not possible to do it physically, nothing prevents us from traveling with our mind and albums like ‘Terra’ come to our rescue. In this surreal and atypical period, the work of the Adelaide, Australia based post-rock/shoegaze group iiah has sent me many more cathartic emotions than I would have ever imagined.
‘Terra’ is a latin word which means ‘Earth’. The record comes out three years after ‘Distances’, and it is a work that has a profound narrative and cinematic power: in my mind it could be the soundtrack of a journey through the maze of the unknown of the cosmos and the unknown of the soul in equal measure. The artwork sees a single man in a boundless space, probably another planet, while observing the Earth in the distance. There is nostalgia and wonder in this image, and the feeling that it transmits to me is the metaphorical and introspective one of how tiny we are compared to the size of the universe of emotions that we can experience in our existence. A perfect image to describe the emotions aroused by the album: the exploration of the universe that metaphorically refers to the exploration of our deepest emotions.
It is a journey that begins with ‘From Nothing’, a delicate and evocative almost drone-ambient piece that originates from vast nothingness but slowly takes form with the melody that is buried under layers of a reverberation which grows to become almost alienating to the point that when ‘Eclipse’ begins it already seems to float in the deepest space. The song considerably raises the level of the cinematic atmosphere, it almost seems to observe the wonders of the cosmos: the guitar notes that gently arise could be dust or celestial bodies observed by a spacecraft. The titles of the tracks in this sense are rather eloquent: the heavier section that breaks in mid-track really looks like the shadow of an eclipse, which insinuating itself completely changes the muffled atmosphere built up to now by spreading a veil of darkness, but only on the surface and temporarily, as in a true eclipse.
Once again I find a parallel between the concept of a journey into the unknown of the cosmos and the innermost depths of the soul: you can go from dark, threatening and frightening areas to others that warm your heart by filling it with light and colours much akin to traveling in the most hidden areas of our mind. ‘Aphelion’, which in astronomy is the point of maximum distance of a body of the solar system (planet, asteroid, comet, artificial satellite, etc.) from the Sun, is another song with many facets. The entry of the voice halfway through the song occurs in a way so natural and fluid that it almost seems to listen to a beautiful instrument that is an essential part of the track. Also noteworthy is the female backing voice of poignant beauty; it seems to come from unknown worlds and manages to give the next riff an emotional impact that it would not have had without. Going from the touching phrasing of the guitars to the speed of the last part is like jumping into hyperspace to observe planets and stars unraveling before our eyes, and in the final explosion of the snare drum it seems to get lost in the atmosphere together with the riff itself. ‘Sleep’ carries on this almost hypnotic sensation of dispersion in the cosmos, between piano notes and a distant vocal part. What might seem like an ambient filler is actually a watershed between two specific parts of the record. Listened to on its own it might seem a little scattered, instead it is an ethereal and reassuring prelude to a sensational composition, without a doubt my favorite of the album – ‘20.09%’.
The riff from which the track originates is pure post-rock beauty: dramatic tremolo, pressing drums, rhythmic guitar delivering rivers of emotions that permeate in every beat. I have felt emotions similar to those experienced with ‘Tales’ of ‘The Chasing Monster’. The bass tones are powerful in the next section: If These Threes Could Talk-style arpeggios hover above with crystal-clear drum beats, while the sensation of solemn drama is assisted by the skilful use of delay in combination with the reverberation. The absence of the drums, which slowly returns to the composition in a very powerful crescendo with the bass guitar always very prominent in the mix, delivers one of the highest emotional peaks of the record. In ‘Terra’ one has the feeling that every minute of the songs is absolutely necessary, there is not even a second superfluous and this song is an example: when I got to the end of the song, after shedding a few tears several times from the beauty, I couldn’t believe that the song had reached 9:46 minutes. The journey ends with a trio of compositions of great impact: In ‘Luminescence’, a groovy bass and always upfront in the mix allows the crystalline tones of the guitars to evoke a sense of nostalgia, while in ‘Displacement’ the melancholy synergy returns between the clarity of the piano and guitar notes. The atmosphere reminds me a lot of Anathema’s “We’re Here Because We’re Here”, especially in the central part. It almost seems to hear Daniel Cavanagh in the lacerating emotion of the vocals.
The closing track, ‘Lambda’, seems to enclose in one magnificent piece all the characteristics of the record. Among other things, Lambda is the Greek letter that indicates the cosmological constant, which in quantum mechanics tries to explain the acceleration of the expansion of the universe. An epic and cinematic first part leaves room for an almost pink-floydian section where it seems to observe the light of a star through the synergy between the gentle peals of the piano and the reverberation of the drums, from which a crescendo originates which explodes in a glorious moment to then descend into an echo of distortions and piano rarefaction. Time loses its meaning and it seems to float in a state of profound ecstasy in space that slowly returns to the nothing from which the journey started and where, if we think about it, it all always started and will end.
It was always a tough ask to surpass the beauty of ‘Distances’, but they raised the bar to an impossible high once again and this album could very well be their magnum opus. An hour of dense, emotional music, played very well with a top notch production. Each element is perfectly set, each sound is perfectly audible in the stereo image. The mastering work is excellent, the pieces are extremely dynamic and crystal clear. This is a must listen for every post-rock fan and beyond. It is a slow burner whose dividends are monumental for the patient listener. Experiencing this album, preferably through headphones, while observing the sky at night is a transcendental experience that, in a strange period like the one we are all experiencing right now, can also be therapeutic and I can’t tell you how much I recommend it.
‘Terra’ is a magnificent record that recalls the perfection of certain dreams. There are beautiful dreams that we cannot remember when we wake up. We can relive this dream whenever we want. And it’s gorgeous.
(Autoproduzione, 2020)
1. From Nothing
2. Eclipse
3. Aphelion
4. Sleep
5. 20.9%
6. Luminescence
7. Displacement
8. Lambda