Tunturia - 'Maps' (2007)

Tunturia - 'Maps' (2007)

1) Panic Attack
2) Echoes of the Unmoved
3) Silence is Consent
4) Cast Shadows on Clouds
5) October 4, 1957
6) Satellites
7) Tunturia
8) These are the Words
9) Robots Building Robots
10) Lost in the Hidden Forest

Tunturia is a Canadian instrumental post-rock band. 'Maps' is the only album I've heard by them, so keep that in mind when I talk about them.They tend to be focused on soundscapes but they can't really be described as ambient. They're repetitive, but not in a bad way. They do little things to change it around to prevent you from being bored.

I admit it's better if you aren't focused on the music (with a few exceptions like beginning track "Panic Attack"); otherwise the album seems to drag on very long, especially when you get to the later tracks. But the first two tracks are stunning. The reason I don't give this album the credit it probably deserves is probably I like the first two tracks so much that the rest of the album doesn't hold up to what I thought it'd be.

As for the actual music, the album is standard post-rock but with a laid back feel that is somewhere between Hammock and Explosions in the Sky. The drums are very prevalent, as well as clean guitar melodies that build upon keyboards/ambient sounds. It's overall a great sound that's great to relax to. The album starts off with an energetic-sounding guitar riff that repeats for a lot of the song, but it's a bit of a misleading start, because their songs aren't of the energetic type.

But if you're bored of your extensive collection of Mogwai and This Will Destroy You, give some of Tunturia's songs a listen on Youtube, you'll enjoy it.

RIYL: Daturah, Laura, This Will Destroy You