Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance of the Moon and the Sun (2006)

The sole idea of listening to 160 minutes of music by any one band can seem like a daunting task. There aren't too many artists out there that I'd want to listen to for 2.5 hours in one continuous sitting. With that much music, you'd expect there to be a decent amount of filler material, but not so in this case. There are 25 tracks, with 4 of them topping 10 minutes long and only 2 are less than 2 minutes. However, this longevity of the songs is well-suited for the drone-heavy post-rock-folk they make. The band is consistent of two French men, one on guitar another on cello. They can be folky, more often ghastly, but there's never a doubt that they're talented.

Opening track "Carved Heart" sets the mood of what's to come over long journey ahead. Electronic whirs and wheezes then fill the room with "Cut Joint Sinews and Divine Reincarnation," making way for the trance inducing raga that lays ahead. Hand drums and finger cymbals are used to great effect, while the ominous drone in the background becomes louder and more threatening. It's definitely the most intense track on the album, and at 15 minutes long, by the end of it you can't help but feel a little scared. This is not the last of the rage-esque tracks on the album, but none of them are as fervent as this initial example. This release may

be hard to find, but if you like having your ears caressed and soothed for hours on end, seek this out at all costs.

If someone is looking to buy this album I can't find anything really. As far as i can tell, The Dance of the Moon and the Sun is out of print, and was supremely limited to begin with...

Download:

Disc 1 Moon

Disc 2 Sun