Rapoon – Hotel Bravo (Album – Zoharum)
Genre/Influences: Ambient, ritual, tribal, cinematographic.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Robin Storey returns to Zoharum unleashing his newest studio work “Hotel Bravo”. The work has been inspired by a derelict hotel. Robin Storey had known this hotel during his childhood, but the place got silted over the years so he wanted to get back dreaming about the conservations, events ao that took place in the hotel.
Content: The concept of this new work inspired the artist to compose a few, pure cinematographic pieces. This ambient side is especially present in the second part of the work. Delicate piano play mixed with field recordings seems to recreate the sumptuous universe of “Hotel Bravo”. But the first part of the album is more mysterious. It still sounds ambient, but recovered with mysterious atmospheres and spiced with a kind of ritual approach and tribal sound. Some passages are even into an Eastern-like atmosphere, transporting the hotel somewhere in India or Pakistan…Spoken words can be heard now and then like evoking the conversations the artists imagined in the hotel.
+ + + : This album reminds me of why I like the work of Rapoon. I like the work for its diversity although I definitely prefer the first part of the album for its tribal/ritual touch, but it reveals the sound magic of Rapoon. From pure delicacy emerging from the piano treatments to overwhelming sound treatments and mixed with some Eastern-like sphere, this album is an invitation to join the artist on his voyage throughout the past. We all know similar places –hotels, buildings, palaces… whatever, which once were the subject of fascination and now abandoned places with a large history. Rapoon creates a work with a strong visual appeal.
– – – : As I already mentioned, I’m less fascinated by the second half of the album although it remains a pleasant trip.
Conclusion: Rapoon has such an impressive and endless discography it’s nearly impossible to say what album is the best. “Hotel Bravo” for sure belongs to some of his best productions from the past few years!
Best songs: “For A Few Sitars More”, “On Our Path”, “Hotel Paris”.
Rate: (8).
Artist: www.rapoon.org / www.facebook.com/rapoon
Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum
About Rapoon
Rapoon is the solo project of British artist Robin Storey, who is also known for his earlier work with Zoviet France. He began releasing music as Rapoon after leaving that project. In 2017, Winter-Light released the first chapter of the “Mercury Rising” trilogy to mark Rapoon’s 25th anniversary, a concept Storey completed with a final chapter in 2019. Storey discussed the trilogy and his work as a writer and painter in a 2019 Click Interview with Side-Line. “Hotel Bravo” arrives on Zoharum, inspired by a derelict hotel from Storey’s childhood.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
