Reviews:
Brian John Mitchell and Russell Halasz
introduced their musical activity in 1992 while covering Bauhaus and The
Cure songs on acoustic guitars, after which soon followed their first hiatus.
Brian John Mitchell started with his new project Remora which more exactly
did mean concentrating on guitar drone experiments, which obviously influenced
Vlor`s subsequent aspirations in experimental vein.
Lavished EP was released in 1997 and
luxate EP a year later (today the EP`s are offered as a joint album). Because
they had no money at first to afford yourselves delay and reverb generating
devices they were strained to use natural ambiences. For instance, a racquetball
court. In short, it was solid shoegaze music with a fringe of loud reverberation
reminding of some My Bloody Valentine`s most atmospheric and epic moments
( (When You Wake) You're Still in a Dream; No More Sorry; Moon Song) and
experimental moments (Touched) as well; on the other hand it drives and
impresses on a darker sequence and some sparsenss in rhythm or even lack
of it aside as well, approaching in that way to the soundscape of another
legend Lycia (by the way, Lycia`s Mike VanPortfleet is part of Vlor nowadays).
While having been the last joint record
session sacred places in the city is a symbolic release first of all. Thereafter
the closest friends have each other felt out (the situation which is comparable
to Spaceman 3, isn`t?). Vis-à-vis with their previous publications
the reverb effects have been more reduced for it. Guitar arpeggios have
distinctly been roughed out.
Although the release is minimal by
instrumentals and soundscape on there it is full of mood music as yet.
There is no difference after all, in which way this 33-minute long set
should be characterized anyway - shoegaze, post-rock, darkwave. On the
other hand - while it is still far away from any of pop centres by its
minimalist approach, it can be considered as one as being quite close to
academic guitar approach, this album could have had a broader audience.
Great music, great muscians.
~ Kert Semm, Recent Music Heroes/Engendered
from Divine Breath