Across the Sea of ID - The Way to Eden

Initial word rumored that Black Sun Ensemble's 2008 album might in fact be its last — only time will tell on that score. If so, it's a fine, beautifully moody way to bow out; while not explicitly returning to the band's earliest days, much of Across the Sea of Id has a spare, moodily tripped sound to it that relies on space and the sound of acoustic instruments creating textures and fills that match the queasily electronic flow of the band's compositions. It's also a mix of reinterpretations of past songs and fully new ones, an interesting blend of past and present that serves as both summary and self-contained effort. The core duo of Jesus Angel de Paz and Eric Johnson sound as solid as ever — having seen his sound (and his band) go from obscure, out-of-sync-with-the-times pursuit to touchstone for any number of acts worldwide doesn't seem to have affected Angel de Paz in terms of pursuing his muse. Whether it's the delicate sitar filigrees on "Walking Down Rosemary Lane" or the acoustic guitar amid the echoing feedback tones on "Perelandra," he relies on his and Johnson's abilities to suggest moods strictly through music rather than vocals and succeeds with aplomb. Occasional guest work adds to the sound of the album without changing its straightforward nature — if the saxophone work of Brian Maloney is sometimes uneven, though definitely adding a haunting, lost edge to "Acros the Sea of Id" itself, John Axtell's violin on a remake of the song "Blues for Rainer" is a stellar turn. The highlight is perhaps "Baphomet's Curse," first released in 2006 and turned here into a gently joyful jam that is among the most serenely welcoming work Black Sun Ensemble have ever recorded, a soft sunrise of a performance.