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Review by Carole Nelson of Zrazy
Celocity : Fitch
It’s not often I am asked to review a CD and after hearing the first two tracks know that this music needs to sit in my Ipod for a long long time. Where to file? Somewhere near Arvo Part, Steve Reich and Philip Glass.
Celocity is Claire Fitch’s third ambient cello production from her studio Fitchsounds, and, to my ear, she has taken her cello/technology collaboration to a new level. Where her first CD Ambiencellist seemed content to delight in all the newly found sonic possibilities, Celocity reveals a more mature compositional mind at work.
There is greater depth, more complex emotions and a surer guiding hand throughout.
This is not music that floats in space; there is a connection to Ireland, in landscape and musical motif. Claire achieves this without ever straying toward the ‘Heart must go on’ clichés currently to be heard in so many, otherwise decent, films.
This music will appeal to ambient music fans, cello freaks, meditators, and all open- eared people who are willing to let new sound into their ipods.
Respect
Carole Nelson
www.zrazy.com
Review by Lloyd Barde of Backroads Music
fitch : Ambiencellist
This CD comes to us all the way from Dublin, Ireland, and it is a cello CD yet not a cello CD! While this most soulful of instruments is predominant throughout, this is seriously deep ambient music, with ample processing, effects, resonance and inviting spaces.
Claire is currently a member of the National Symphony of Ireland, and has been since 1995. Her own studio was set up a little over two years ago, and there began the journey towards this lovely, spatially-inspired CD. Full of layered textures and unusual sounds and timbres, the ten tracks, while on the short side, flow together like watercolors, with equal emphasis on both the wave-like aquatic and bright pastel nature of the musical compositions. Introspective yet expansive, these pieces border on somber tones, and come across as abstract at times.
What do you think a cello made in 1774 and software synthesizers made in 2002 would sound like together? Sound like an inspiring combination? Fitch thought so. She's recorded a beautiful CD blending the smooth haunting sounds of the cello with the organic electronic sounds of the software synthesizer. This music is lyrical, gentle and organic one moment, and hauntingly ethereal and even eerie the next. There are even rhythmic undercurrents that wash through some of the tracks.
We are very pleased to present this title, which broadens our excellent cello dept, already highlighted by Andrea Bauer, David Darling, Jamie Sieber, Lisa Walker, and the versatile Martin Tillman.
Review by David J. Opdyke of Ambientrance.com
fitch : Ambiencellist
I can firmly say Claire Fitch is the finest Irish female ambient cellist I've ever heard! I believe this will hold true even if I do ever hear another Irish female ambient cellist. Wafting out from Dublin, Ambiencellist seduces with real strings and enticing electronics! Landscape's rolling blend of rather brassy swirls are almost-morose, yet emit entrancing lightness. More-obviously cello-powered Ambiencellist (4:57) merges softly twirling strings with organ bleeps and washy drones... lovely! Emotive bowing seduces, as do thrumming layers of synth-ephemera; lunarsheen delivers both, and more, in a stunning collusion.
The deeper, cool wisps of calm pad (3:06) levitate like shape-shifting smoke, and are accented by faintly stirring e-rhythms. Billowing ice field again demonstrates Ms. Fitch's natural sense of spaciousness, when ethereal-pastoral scenes unfold on cushiony currents of cello and gauzy electronics. In a single misstep (to my ears anyway), the echoey whiplash reverberations of shortest day distract from the otherwise cool thrumming resonance.
Just-right amounts of fantasy-glare hover through the sweetly solemn strings of still reaction , before the wavelike contours of after swirl gently to a close.
Highlight 40-minutes of your day with Claire Fitch's sublime convergence of sonic styles. An exciting/calming release, Ambiencellist features subtle synthesis amongst its more-classical elements, skillfully combined. Very nice!
Review by Neo-Zine.com
fitch : Ambiencellist
To her credit, Claire Fitch studied cello at the Birmingham Conservatoire and the Royal Academy of Music. Currently she is employed by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. Add to that list of credit's the fact that she has made one of the finest CDs that I have ever had the privilege to put my ears to. From the promo "An organic mix of acoustic cello and electronic sounds creates this ambient, spacious, introspective feeling. I compose using Logic Platinum with a nice collection of VST instruments and plugins." I hope you know what the technical mumbo jumbo means, if not just know that this recording sounds like angels from outer space. Perfectly painted sounds capes effectively bringing to life audio sensory images for the wandering brain.
Review by Carole Nelson of Zrazy
Ambiencellist : Claire Fitch
a.k.a. Fitch, is an English woman who has lived in Ireland several years now and plays cello with the National Symphony Orchestra. Ambiencellist is her first release and it is an extraordinary achievement. It is a beautiful mix of ambient electronic sounds and acoustic cello that conjures up a wintry dream landscape somewhere between urban chill out music and the west of Ireland. All the electronic sounds are fabulous, rich and atmospheric, nothing new-age cheesy. Fitch's restrained cello playing is lyrical and moving and her compositional sense as an orchestral cello player keeps the music from ever straying toward the banality of much chill out music.
The music remains ultra calm throughout, just hinting at a groove on a couple of tracks. Will Fitch head off in that direction next? She's certainly set to produce an abundance of music, having, in just a couple of years, set up her own home studio. In these D.I.Y. times she has done it all. A great website with sounds, equipment lists for the benefit of other composers, and importantly CD sales. Fitch has had a great response already to this music and I'm not surprised. I think she has found a strong voice and musical identity for herself and I hope she takes the world by storm. More power to your elbow Fitch!
Review by Mick Quinlan of Le Cheile
Ambiencellist : Claire Fitch
Most of the reviews I have written here have concentrated on traditional music but I am going to write about some contemporary music for a change.
Claire Fitch is a Dublin-based cellist who plays for the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. A few years ago she set up her own studio and now she has brought a solo CD out. Round the kitchen and mind the dresser it's not, it's a combination of cello and electronic instruments and falls well into the so-called Ambient genre. The music is contemplative even introverted and there are hints of the traditional in some of the tracks but the musicianship lifts this out of the usual "ah no not anudder borin, new age cd" category. Of the ten tracks on the cd it's difficult to pick out a favourite, this is not the sort of music that is going to jump up and grab you by the throat. It's music to let wash over you while you sit and contemplate, or even drink a fine whiskey, and think of white horses dancing on that other ocean.
Review by Corbin Keep of New Directions Cello Association
Ambiencellist : Claire Fitch
This disc certainly lives up to the "ambience" part of its title, as it consists,in large part of ethereal synth washes and drones. The role of the cello is relegated for the most part to solos that meander over equally ethereal harmonic structures. There are a few standout moments that show promise; lunarsheen, for example has a lovely intrinsic emotional quality to its chord progression that makes for a stirring cello solo up top and actually seems to end a bit too soon. I think that there is definitely promise for the future. Let's put it this way: I like what I hear here enough to check out fitches' next release.
Review by Deepak Singh of The Dual Nature of Matter
Claire Fitch has released one of the most hauntingly beautiful albums I have ever heard. The combination of Absynth and cello is not one that would be that obvious to many people, but after listening to "Ambiencellist" you want more of the combination. The most similar music I can think of in terms of texture and mood is Tan Dun's soundtrack for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", but Fitch's CD is unique in its own right, with its distinctly electronic textures, warm cello and celtic spirit. Put on your headphones, turn out the lights, and start floating.
Review by Gordon J. Sauve
With her new CD "Ambiencellist", Claire Fitch has successfully combined the sounds of today's virtual computer-based studio with her lovely solo cello lines. The tracks on this CD explore the new and ever evolving music making possibilities of the home studio residing in Claire's Apple computer. This is a computer-generated wonderland that most classically trained cellists like Claire would not be expected to go. Claire Fitch's cello playing not only fits these synthesizer-and audio effects-molded soudscapes and harmonies but clearly is at home there acting as our guide to this new world of sound. This debut disc displays Claire Fitch's maturity as a cellist, composer and computer musician. Bravo Claire!
Review by Harry Sklar SklarNet.com
What makes Claire Fitch's "Ambiencellist" amazing is the way it easily shatters your preconceptions of "ambient music". While wonderfully soothing, it's far from somnambulistic: look just below that calm surface and you'll be treated to an edgy complexity that draws you in even deeper. By blending her strong classical cello skills with an equally strong understanding of electronic music and synthesis, "Ambiencellist" takes you into an almost cinematic soundscape that can be gentle and organic one moment, and hauntingly eerie the next.