Finally the legendary northern goths MOON FAR AWAY performed their second album.
On this page you can read some CD
reviews and listen to a couple of tracks from the album in MP3.
You can order the CD on our distribution page.
MOON FAR AWAY "Sator" Reviews
Press Release
A couple of tracks from the album in MP3
MOON FAR AWAY "Sator" Reviews
Hooray! The second CD of northern goths Moon Far Away has finally
reached us. Having listened to this album before, as a demo, I decided to wait
and write the review a bit later. I believe that there are no unnecessary
elements on an album; the cover, the decoration, the sound quality and, of
course, the very musical material perform a completed canvas, and it is
possible to assess it only on the whole, not each element apart from the
others. Moon Far Away finished working on it in winter, and then they began
searching for a label to release it. As far as I know, MFA sent ome demos to
Western labels, but after all the album was released by Brudenia. (Brudenia is
the label of Vladimir Igoshin, which if famous for releasing the first CD of Romowe Rikoito
and two unique Russian releases of Western bands, Legendary Pink Dots and Attrition.)
What was the reason for that? Either Western labels didn't show enough
interest, or their conditions weren't advantageous... or maybe MFA decided to
release this CD in Russia because of their sense of face? I do not know that,
but I'm sure this is a big plus that there are Russian labels that are
interested in our gothic music. Now let us pass to the album, and let us begin
with the decoration - it is very trendy, although I do ot understand why they
drew a wooden Russian Orthodox crest on the cover - I have always thought
that MFA proclaim northern paganism. Okay, never mind, the main thing is music,
so what do we experience in this CD? The fact that Moon Far Away finally
invented a style of their own! Of course, some analogies can be found with
Western bands, but is it that necessary? The album is very individual, and
this is its attraction, from the point of view of style it is a combination ambient, new age
and some ethereal with ritual elements, but what connection does this cocktail
have to gothic? This is a difficult question. The mood of the album is
undoubtedly gothic, but the music is not always gothic. (Remember how the American
label Projekt described the first CD of Moon Far Away as "Russian Ambient".)
In fact, MFA managed to preserve this ambient in their both releases, only the
new album is more solid, smooth, although it contains absolute hits, Man is a Birdstower, Dezember Der Zeiten (that
was released on Russian Gothic Compilation under the title of December of Times), Schlaflied
and To the Heaven Rhuanda. What I adore in MFA is the fact that A. Sheptunoff
(as usual, hiding under the name of Count Ash), doesn't seem to care about the
conjuncture side of his music. Creating his works, he doesn't copy anything -
this is a path much more difficult and thorny, although at the same time much
more noble and exciting. The album is a solid conceptual creation, which rocks
you on the waves on light sorrow and romantic grief from the shores of the
White sea. Changing one another, come bright new age tracks and more
melancholic ritual passages. The album creates a unique fair atmosphere. I
think this was the message of the authors.
coroner
Russian Gothic Project
Press Release
The first album of MOON FAR AWAY made them famous as the best
Russian gothic/darkwave band. "SATOR", being the second release of this
legendary band, broadens the borders of their sound image, diving in ethno-esoteric and adopting the
symbolism of early Christianity. Their
experiments with traditional instruments and the structure of the very songs,
the all-time atmosphere and rituality of the rhythmical constructions make "SATOR"
a solid musical canvas, devoted to the ever-returning mystery of eternal
return. MOON FAR AWAY sing of the harmony of cosmos inside a man...
A couple of tracks from the album in MP3
To the Heaven
Rhuanda (02:13)
December of
Times (06:25)
(c) 1999 Russian Gothic Project
Design by Chthon
(c) 1999
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