Sunday 15 February 2009

Current 93 - Of Ruine or Some Blazing Starre (Reissue), 2007



‘Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre’ is the latest re-issue from Current 93’s highly impressive and startlingly diverse back catalogue. Originally released in 1994, ‘Of Ruine..’ saw Tibet and his stripped back assemblage of musicians delivering an album that was awash with simplistic charm and character, yet was as deeply and emotionally charged as anything that had come before it.

Aided by the ever-present Steve Stapleton, the multitalented Michael Cashmore, and Phoebe Cheshire who provided occasional vocal accompaniments, Tibet managed to skilfully construct an album brimming with subtle sounds and ideas which come together to produce an immensely dense and complex framework of lyrics, music and atmosphere. On initial listens ‘Of Ruine..’ seems to be simply an expansion of the folk-esque sound that Current 93 had started to be renowned for, and in simplistic terms this could be correct. And yet this album is so much more than that. It sees a true coming-of-age for Current 93. Tibet seems immensely comfortable with himself and his music, life and beliefs and this is projected through the immensely compelling essence of ‘Of Ruine..’.

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