Artist: James Sudakow
Label: Self-released
Release: 2009
Runtime: 37:10
Rating: 3/5
It was 2007 when James Sudakow dropped his debut, “Green.” Even back then he was working with production genius Eric Zimmermann, and he brought that partnership back for his second album, “There is no sound in space.” This time Zimmermann doesn’t just handle programming and production, he also steps in on guitar. So Sudakow and Zimmermann team up as a duo of electric-instrument masters: a violinist and a guitarist.
On “There is no sound in space,” the two musicians went down a different road than the one Sudakow took on “Green.” Zimmermann covered the drums, the bass lines and basically every other instrument with his computer know-how, which made it clear the focus would be on the violin and guitar, the only “natural” instruments on the record. Right off the bat you could tell “There is no sound in space” would be quite different from “Green.” The first obvious thing is the electronic tinkering, courtesy of Zimmermann. In the background you often hear repeating keyboard patterns that mostly build either a psychedelic or a space sound. They also mix their “live” music with all sorts of beats typical of electronica.
“Hail the victorious dead” kicks off like an electronic track; still, the vibe is such that you immediately know this is no random electronic tune. Zimmermann on guitar and Sudakow on violin pop in now and then, adding a short riff here and there, maybe a solo. The electronic backdrop drags on to the end, with only the violin and guitar swapping places. In this track the two mostly swear by electro-rock ambience. Next comes another song with a pompous title, “When I am king.” The scenario plays out at the same pace as in “Hail the victorious dead.” Some constant background, with Zimmermann and Sudakow chipping in the odd lick, riff, flick, solo and whatever else falls in between. The third track is the title one, “There is no sound in space.” This time violinist Sudakow serves up a pleasant intro, giving the listener hope that the song will bring some freshness and good music. A huge amount of attention goes to the song’s ambience again, which is totally fitting here. Still, individual patterns show up too long and too often; then again, the two do manage to conjure up a space ambient. In “Stardusted” the space sound mentioned earlier is explored even further and is even more obvious, but the whole track is once more more or less a repeating pattern.
The second half of the album starts with “Moment of silence.” A great, menacing opening is followed by a phenomenal dialogue between guitar and violin. This time the backdrop is more natural and meshes better with both players. The track is also just the right length (almost three and a half minutes) for what Sudakow and Zimmermann want to say with it. It’s just a shame there are so few songs like this among Sudakow’s creations. “Waiting for a miracle” doesn’t fix the bad impression from before. The ambience is there, but sadly the music is once again background rather than the center of the listener’s attention. “Strange orange glow” veers off the previous style a bit with its unusual intro, but the song itself again lacks the soul and cohesion to be any good. Then comes “The greatest life I’ve ever known,” a real bomb from Sudakow and Zimmermann. The intro is very similar to the title track, but the rest is fairly minimalist, with witty bass lines. The drums are polished here too, and listening to them you get the feeling they’re not just there for backdrop. The violin and guitar strike a great balance. So at least the ending is decent. Not decent, excellent.
So after his debut “Green,” James Sudakow switched up the record and tried something different. He shed the all-too-common metal “virus” of today’s fusion music and instead dug deeper into the space sound that was already created on “Green,” presenting it under the label of ambient music. The two work together brilliantly on a few tracks, but their collaboration before recording should have been longer if Sudakow wanted to make something better and more complete. So if he intends to stay on this path, he and Zimmermann need to keep working together, because the potential is definitely there. Still, on “There is no sound in space” James showed more soul in the music itself than before, but he neglected the experimental sound he found too much, the one he coaxed so well out of his electric violin. The next project has to be one that combines the best qualities of “Green” and “There is no sound in space,” and if he pulls that off, success is guaranteed.
Lineup
James Sudakow – electric violin
Eric Zimmermann – electric guitar, programming
Production
Eric Zimmermann
Track list
1. Hail the victorious dead
2. When I am king
3. There is no sound in space
4. Stardusted
5. Moment of silence
6. Waiting for a miracle
7. Strange orange glow
8. The greatest live I’ve ever known
