OUT NOW-Biomusique's 10,000 steps-Greg Ellis & Lisbeth Scott

[serenaspun]

What do you get when you cross an insanely talented multi-instrumentalist with a breathtaking vocalist, both of whom have one foot in this world and another in the next? Biomusique. Biomusique is the vehicle for percussionist/multi-instrumentalist Greg Ellis and siren/songwriter Lisbeth Scott. Some will be familiar with Ellis' work as a founding member of the sacred music duo Vas. Unlike Vas, which is rooted in more Middle Eastern and East-Indian rhythms and atmospheres, Biomusique's first effort, 'The 10,000 Steps,' is a polyfused hybrid of many styles that range from textured electronic ambience to atmospheric riffs on Celtic sound-stylings. The results are breathtaking. Scott's vocals resemble the non-local phrasings of Liz Fraser and Lisa Gerrard, toning, intoning, chanting, and singing, blending and bending a fluid vocabulary of vocalese. While Ellis moves surprisingly well out of his percussive comfort zone to play a number of other instruments such as trumpet, guitar, dulcimer, piano and, of course, a battery of drums and percussion. Together, they make deliciously organic sounds that echo David Sylvain, Enya, Clannad and Loreena McKennit, but are by no means cloning any of them. Those artists just represent stylistic touchstones. The musical journey on 'The 10,000 Steps' goes far beyond the tools of language to draw comparison. Take the first step. Listen.