REVIEWS
“It’s such a lovely album, with a real sense of immediacy and yet otherworldiness ..”
Phil McMullen, Editor, The Terrascope, U.K
“compelling audio”…….”great stuff”…………”highly recommended”
Dan Herman – Radio Crystal Blue NYC
“The CD leaves me with a subtle, satisfied feeling and although dark and introspective (my fave type of songs like this), the songs offer many portals of enjoyment. Thank you for sharing this with me.”
“ Congratulations to you both Mahri and Brian for creating some very beautiful art. I look forward to hearing about your success in the near future.”
Jack Douglas (producer who worked with John Lennon and Patti Smith)
“ I love the C.D” …..“a rich and strange album” … “ poetic and otherworldly”
Michael Cathcart- ABC Radio National
“The sensual, otherworldly soundscapes found on Mahri Autumn’s Ri-Solv reveal plenty about digital-era music-making: while the bulk of the album was crafted by Autumn in her Wollongong home studio, embellishments were added by Brian Siskind, in New York, without actually meeting the gifted Ms Autumn. He also mixed the album. And if it’s indeed possible to sound familiar yet new at the same time, Autumn has achieved just that, as she channels such timeless voices as Linda Thompson and Sandy Denny, while simultaneously nodding in the direction of 21st century free spirits Ani DiFranco and Sarah Blasko, amongst others.”
Jeff Apter, author of A Pure Drop: The Life of Jeff Buckley
Australian musician Marianthe Loucataris has set the bar high on her first solo endeavor with the sweeping, emotive sounds of ambient-folk record ri-solv. The album is a revealing collection of ten songs that float over your ears on a breeze of acoustic delicacy which underpins a most soulful voice that is full of quiet passion and deep yearning.
The album begins tentatively, introducing the record’s underpinning elements with the accordion-rich strains of ‘High Time’ – a flowing, folksy piece peppered with acoustic guitar, piano and Egyptian percussion (of which more will be said later on). But what really catches you is your first introduction to Loucataris’ voice, which is a beautiful, overlayed harmonic experience; she sings with purpose, but with an utterly charming reserved undertone that permeates each song with a sense of intrigue. It can at times make you feel a little voyeuristic, as if by listening to her songs you become privy to a very private form of expression, but that only serves to make the album more touching and personal. The record ebbs and flows between confidence and reservedness, but always with a delicate touch from the vocals.
As well as her strong vocal talents, what sets this record in a very interesting and rather unique light is Loucataris’ use of Egyptian percussion techniques, which reflect both her cultural heritage and her time spent studying under an Egyptian drumming master. Setting these traditional percussive sounds in a very modern soundscape makes listening all the more pleasurable, as you will hear curious sounds that fit perfectly into the context of these ambient, enveloping tracks that, honestly, can’t really be pinned onto any genre. She creates ethereal soundscapes, with overlapping vocal melodies and layer upon layer of carefully-placed instrumental and electronic elements.
I’ve spun this album many times, and it is one from which you can garner something new from each listen. From twinkling piano and gorgeous accordion drones, to the delicately plucked acoustic guitar and unique percussive elements, and of course, that astounding emotionally exposed voice, Mahri Autum’s ri-solv is a beautiful cluster of deeply heartfelt songs that are wonderful in their subtle complexity.
Sarah Morrison- US based music critic – Published on Miss Morrison’s Mix , The Justin Wayne Show, Insomnia Radio
“More Great Music That I Just Didn’t have Time to Play!”
Geoff Wood – ABC Radio National