Hala Strana - Fielding

Hala Strana. Fielding. 2003. 5 stars.

Music for a lucid dream. This is a downright remarkable and pleasantly psychedelic folk album from California’s Hala Strana. Fielding encompasses gentle acoustic harmonies, evocative field recordings and touches of traditional Eastern European instrumentals in its stunning musical journey. This album is both mysterious and deeply comforting, as its relaxed rhythms and experimental use of samples creates a warm and intimate atmosphere to get lost in. The subtlety and diversity of the compositions within this two disc set keeps it engaging over many repeated listens, as new details reveal themselves each time. The musique concrète approach makes each song a colorful and intricate collage begging for exploration.

While these pieces cover a lot of sonic and cultural territory, its hardly daunting. It has a dreamy evening vibe to it, making the perfect accompanying soundtrack for laid back tripping. There are a few strange and disquieting moments here, given the eclectic use of found sounds (think Set Fire to Flames meets Six Organs of Admittance) but they add some twists to the winding trail of the entire album.

Fielding stands as one of the most satisfying psychedelic albums I’ve come across. Its sound is undeniably unique and not only showcases stellar musicianship but also introduces the listener to variety of obscure sounds and traditions. As an opiate induced travelogue, Fielding is truly a work of art that belongs in your avant-garde collection.

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