The Tania and Jori Continents - Continent One (08/09/2011)
‘Continent One’ is the story of at least three continents. It spans the oceans and transcends the lands, building a breathtaking paradise. It’s 63 minutes of magical madness that is unlike anything else you’ll hear, this year.
Born and raised in Australia, Tania Bowers (more commonly known as Via Tania) moved to Chicago to pursue a career in music. Little did she know, the key to her musical success was living on the other side of the world in the form of Finland native, Jori Hulkonnen.
The true magic of Continent One lies in the manner in which it was written. Bowers and Hulkonnen had been collaborating for more than two years before they finally met, spreading the seed and watering the roots of what would eventually become this fantastic debut album. It’s through this unique partnership that this truly bewitching sound was created. Both contribute something highly original to create something that would have been inconceivable to the individuals.
Opening track, ‘In A Place’, is the first step on this journey through another world. If extraterrestrial life was to make contact with us, this would be what they’d be listening to. It simultaneously relaxes you’re entire being, whilst inspiring and motivating you to create things.
Bowers’ angelic vocals and ghostly melodies seem almost out-of-place, echoed and layered over Hulkonnen’s landscape of synths, drum machines and eerie drones, but it works so well. If you can imagine Beach House crossed with The Knife, you might be getting close... maybe. Unfortunately, Continent One does get a little repetitive. Hulkonnen’s walls of sound all begin to resemble each other, and Bowers vocals become a blur of unearthly echoes.
There are a few stand-out moments, like the almost inaudible riff of ‘1000 Years’, which is delightfully reminiscent of Stevie Wonders’ ‘Superstitious’. At times, there are glimpses of real magic. The songs may all blend together, but that’s what makes this an album. It’s the glue that binds them and it makes for a wonderful work of art, rather than just a bunch of songs on a CD.
Lara Moates
Born and raised in Australia, Tania Bowers (more commonly known as Via Tania) moved to Chicago to pursue a career in music. Little did she know, the key to her musical success was living on the other side of the world in the form of Finland native, Jori Hulkonnen.
The true magic of Continent One lies in the manner in which it was written. Bowers and Hulkonnen had been collaborating for more than two years before they finally met, spreading the seed and watering the roots of what would eventually become this fantastic debut album. It’s through this unique partnership that this truly bewitching sound was created. Both contribute something highly original to create something that would have been inconceivable to the individuals.
Opening track, ‘In A Place’, is the first step on this journey through another world. If extraterrestrial life was to make contact with us, this would be what they’d be listening to. It simultaneously relaxes you’re entire being, whilst inspiring and motivating you to create things.
Bowers’ angelic vocals and ghostly melodies seem almost out-of-place, echoed and layered over Hulkonnen’s landscape of synths, drum machines and eerie drones, but it works so well. If you can imagine Beach House crossed with The Knife, you might be getting close... maybe. Unfortunately, Continent One does get a little repetitive. Hulkonnen’s walls of sound all begin to resemble each other, and Bowers vocals become a blur of unearthly echoes.
There are a few stand-out moments, like the almost inaudible riff of ‘1000 Years’, which is delightfully reminiscent of Stevie Wonders’ ‘Superstitious’. At times, there are glimpses of real magic. The songs may all blend together, but that’s what makes this an album. It’s the glue that binds them and it makes for a wonderful work of art, rather than just a bunch of songs on a CD.
Lara Moates