CD-R, Triple Bath, 2007
www.triplebath.gr/red_needled_sea.html
Red Needled Sea is the solo project of Panos Alexiades, who is based in Athens, Greece. One of the things that immediately stood out to me on “Old River Blues” was how nice the piano contributions are and how much they add to the overall atmosphere of the work. Another quality this disc has is how well each track flows from one to the next so seamlessly.
The second track, entitled “Document,” caught my attention right away with its gentle drones and static-like background noises. Towards the end of the track a more prominent drone comes into play, and before you have time to completely bask in it, it fades out with the rest of the song. “Under The River” showcases Alexiades’ piano training, which adds its share to the atmosphere of the piece, as it flows perfectly with the background ambience. Although it is almost thirteen minutes in length, the track flows flawlessly and is something to become easily lost in. The transition into “Document II” is so smooth that one could easily not know he or she is listening to a new track, although the piano is absent this time around.
What ended up being my favorite track on the disc was “Never Forget,” because of how much it stood out from the rest. Although it has noisy textures throughout, it still keeps the calm feeling of the rest of the disc.
Red Needled Sea has a lot to be proud of with “Old River Blues,” and it is easily one of my favorite drone pieces made by someone I haven’t been previously familiar with in quite some time. In fact, several moments here and there reminded me of drone luminaries such as Andrew Chalk, which means Alexiades has to be doing something right.
[9/10]
— Charlie Martineau