(Peacefrog/Creative Vibes)

Marriages is a work of quiet beauty. From the understated intensity of the opening pop song, Handshaking, to the sparse piano driven exquisite pain of the Orphea, the final track, Marc Hellner has produced a journey of richness and depth. Careful crafting of each track by incorporating just the right elements has resulted in a work that is delicately balanced.

The CD is a mixture of gentle, understated alternative pop, placed within a soundscape reminiscent of  textural producers such as Boards of Canada. The gentle down tempo beats punctuate music heavily influenced by ambient styles. As is also common these days, a blend of both electronic and acoustic elements occurs in most tracks..

Marc Hellner is currently working from Chicago, USA, and has body of work in which he has collaborated with other electronic artists, most notably electronic pop songsters L’Altra, (I recommend their 2005 album, Different Days, on which Marc Hellner did the programming), and Pulseprogramming, in which he is one half of the producing duo. In all this work, the music explores similar threads of ambient pop, with an increasing focus on song structures embedded within subtly produced and exquisite music.

The dual influences of both UK pop and 20th Century Classical Minimalism (think Arvo Part and Steve Reich) shining through, Marc Hellner has created a harmonious marriage.  The pop structures come through most strongly on tracks such as Handshaking, and Nonsense & Happiness, two of the best tracks on the album. His voice his gentle, and low in the mix, meaning one has to strain to pick up the lyrics, but it creates an overall feel of containment.

The classical minimalism is brought to greatest effect on the closing track, Orphea. Driven by slow, deep, minor chords played on a piano, it is as thought the bitter sweet agony of life is being expressed in each chord. The deep, soft drone that underneath the track creates an uneasy tension that begs for release! Release from what? The highlight of the album, this is a track on which to project the pain of one’s life, if music talks to you in that way.

Somewhere in between the pop and the classical, are instrumental tracks that fit well beside music produced by outfits such as Boards of Canada. Incorporating elements of minimal glitch, and sonics that while heavily processed blend beautifully, they connect the album into a seamless journey.

Get this album, lock the doors, pull the curtains shut, and shut your eyes: this album is an emotional musical journey that requires solitude.