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Release Details
Album
Released Jan 5, 2023
Reviews
Arashk Azizi
James Blackwell is a gifted storyteller who knows how to narrate and how to create tension and resolution to make an ongoing drama, And he has chosen instrumental music as the medium to narrate his story. His latest album, As the River Flows, is an instrumental journey that invites listeners to experience creation, contemplation, and the profound cycles of life—all without a single spoken word. Instrumental music, while abstract, can be powerfully evocative, and Blackwell uses this to his advantage. He taps into its ability to convey a dramatic narrative that resonates emotionally. In As the River Flows, Blackwell explores creation itself through the lens of a meditative mind. Using only musical notes, he allows listeners to envision a story in ten pieces that are each unique yet connected by common themes, instruments or rhythmic patterns. Each track has a standalone quality, yet together they form a continuous arc, like chapters in a book. Blackwell’s skillful use of program music techniques enables him to weave a tapestry of sound that follows a cohesive pattern across the album. These techniques, which allow themes to evolve and reappear throughout, contribute to the sense of an unfolding story that runs from one track to the next. The effect is a journey where each piece connects with those around it, adding to the album’s immersive quality. The album’s instrumentation is another aspect of Blackwell’s narrative craft. He combines synthesizers with orchestral instruments, balancing them in a way that feels natural and intentional. The synth sounds introduce an electronic edge when the music moves away from themes of the soul, while acoustic instruments come to the forefront as the music grows more introspective. This shifting between electronic and acoustic tones mirrors the album's exploration of internal and external worlds, enhancing the listener's sense of depth. In terms of composition, Blackwell’s style is closest to contemporary classical. He creates melodic lines that are inviting and smooth, providing listeners with hooks to draw them in. While the melodies are accessible, the harmonic structure beneath them is sophisticated and intricate, rewarding deeper listening. Tracks such as “Stretching Sky” illustrate this complexity beautifully. Here, Blackwell introduces an Eastern feel by combining pentatonic melodies with diatonic harmonies, resulting in a unique and slightly melancholic soundscape that feels both universal and deeply personal. Each track title serves as a guide, hinting at the story behind the music. In “A Spot in the Sand,” for instance, Blackwell evokes a feeling of stillness and presence, encouraging listeners to sit in silence and connect with the moment. In “A Place Among the Stars,” he invites the listener to explore the vastness of nature, evoking a sense of wonder and mystery. The album continues with tracks like “The Fires of Creation,” which capture the powerful, primal energy of life’s beginnings, and “Darkest Depths,” which descends into the unknown, evoking both beauty and awe in the face of nature's mysteries. As the River Flows is a journey of contemplation and connection. Each piece, while intricate and complex, flows naturally into the next, creating a continuous narrative that listeners can absorb in a single sitting. Through his meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful composition, Blackwell has achieved something remarkable: a sophisticated, multilayered work that feels alive, dynamic, and deeply resonant. Released on January 5, 2023, and accompanied by striking cover art from Miguel Ángel Oyarbide, As the River Flows is best experienced as a whole. Blackwell’s vision shines through in each piece, making the album an inspiring and meditative journey that transcends words.
Brit Mark
Every so ofter an album comes along that captures my attention because of the way it breaks all of the rules of music composition. I should really put that in quotes: “the rules.” This was the case when I first heard the new album from Australian composer, James Blackwell. The album is called “As the River Flows” and it features 10-tracks that take you on a musical journey full of unexpected twists and turns. “Each album I release is a story set to music,” says Blackwell when talking about his process. “[As the River Flows] tells the story of someone who is meditating, reflecting on nature. Their imaginations take them to the creation of the Earth itself, forming from cosmic matter, to the creation of life, and eventually, consciousness. This journey is as much created (imagined) by the person meditating, as it was by forces greater than ourselves.“ This idea of self creation and reflection very much comes through as the album unfolds. The only track that gets close to the idea of a traditional jazz arrangement is track 3, “The Fires of Creation” — and that is only loosely structured in a traditional way. With all of the surrounding orchestration on the track, even “The Fires of Creation” is more than just a normal track. In some ways, Blackwell’s new album asks the listener to leave the traditional world of music behind. Leave behind any rigid idea of percussion, pop music structure, or expected musical timing. Leave behind all the rules of traditional song arrangement completely. This is about losing yourself to the flow of this album’s musical river. This is about escapism. “[As the River Flows] has a garden-path structure,” explains Blackwell. “It’s meant to reflect a mind being pulled by nothingness to thoughts, and finding satisfaction from doing so. The flow of the album (and each song) is intended to be unexpected but smooth.” I think that this way of musical composition and free-thinking opens the album up to something else entirely. It’s more than just a soundtrack; the album feels like it is being composed live by something that is developing before your ears. Because each track doesn’t follow a predictable song structure, the effect is music that becomes seemingly alive and synesthetic rather than stayed and expected. You can imagine the album sounding a just a bit different the second, and third time around. Almost like the music only appears when there is a listener. Or perhaps if you close your eyes, it feels like your ears are watching something rather than listening to it. If you are interested in taking a musical trip down the river, stream As the River Flows below on Spotify. Or head over to the James Blackwell Bandcamp page to buy the album.
