Rezension: FEUER WASSER STURM (vitalweekly.net)

The man behind Casia is Stephan Spreer, who “is known for his work with Llovespell, Sunday Strain and Antlers Mulm", none of which meant something to me. Casia, I thought, what is that? The sister of Casio? The title of the release translates as 'fire, water, thunder', and Spreer gets credit for synthesizer, sampler and production. Ambient music is the result of these instruments and Spreer does a fine job. The label calls it "a personal sound" on the behalf of the composer, but that, I think, is not entirely the case. Casia plays ambient music, ten pieces, each about five minutes (average length) and uses heavily treated field recordings and works around with that. There is a noise element to the music, making it all a bit gritty and dirty, frayed edges on smooth tones. The sort of hiss that I like and you can find in those places where ambient, drones and lo-fi usually meet; a sort of shoegazing sound. As I don't like the very smooth end of ambient music, the pieces by Casia works very well. However, it is not, something entirely unheard or new. I gave up thinking that ambient music will see a radical make-over and everyone who is into recording ambient music (and please keep doing it!) should carve out a niche for their own. Casia's hissy textures, coupled with the occasional rhythm samples (in 'I Step Outside Myself'), sometimes leaning towards the noise, sometimes smooth and calm ('To The Sun', for instance, or 'In The Storm Of Roses', with its twinkle rhythm) make up for a pleasantly varied album. Light and dark alternate like day and night. I like both of Casia's sides of it. (FdW)