Jasper TX
Singing stones
Fang Bomb
Ambient music is one of those genres that's increasingly mirroring the Swedish melodic death metal scene. Not in terms of style, of course, rather in terms of complete oversaturation and lack of variation. You know the score: there's a mountain of bands, all doing the exact same things to varying degrees of success, yet only a handful have the presence of mind and ability to rise above the masses and output something really special -- or original, for that matter. Jasper TX falls into the category of those who ply the trade well but fail to do anything really noteworthy. That said, Swede Dag Rosenqvist, is to be commended for his commitment to the world of cinematic ambience, but it must also be pointed out that there's nothing really going on that hasn't been done a gazillion times before. "Singing stones" is like an IKEA table: it does the job, but every other table in every other IKEA is exactly the same -- more or less -- and half the population has one. A Jonas Bohlin table may be a little less accessible and may take more time to construct, but the end result is far more unique and enjoyable and it stands out from the crowd. Yes, "Singing stones" is a good album and is well put together. But the fact that, with very few exceptional moments, it sounds pretty much like every other ambient/cinematic project out there means it's pretty pointless even checking it out if you already have a heap of this type of music. For a first time buyer, however, it's a good introduction. Then, when you hear all the other bands that sound the same you can say, "They just sound like Jasper TX." Swings and roundabouts, I suppose.
- John Norby
