www.crashinin.com
"City Island" is the debut album from Kevin and Alina. The duo's slow
melancholy electronic melody instantly conjures up memories of past Portishead
releases. Their soothing, electronic soundscapes would make perfect music for
a rainy day backdrop. (release date 2006)
www.leonardslair.co.uk
With its warped guitar riff, intense percussion and wounded sparrow vocals,
The Artificial Sea have made an early bid to become the Portishead of the
21st Century with their song 'Gloryhole'. It's an excellent dramatic start;
made all the more special by the fact that this New York duo are a humble,
self-produced act. The ambition and scope of their oeuvre is there for all
to see, however and even though 'Gloryhole' is probably their best song,
the remainder of 'City Island' is full of edgy, dark melody. A throbbing
bassline makes 'The Light Of 1,000 Televisions' a slick, jazzy delight, 'Tunnel
Vision' is mournful and moving whilst the sinister and subtle 'Ride This
Thing' bears close resemblance to the Cranes. Another highpoint is 'Things
We Spent' where they manage to produce a tender, teary love song made all
the more unusual by wonky instrumentation and an almost classical tune. This
is sterling, stirring and imaginative music that deserves a much higher profile.
4 out of 5
www.mille-feuille.fr
City Island est une formidable preuve qu'il ne faut pas se fier aux apparences
et qu'un artiste peut souvent révéler plusieurs facettes. d'Alina
Simone on se souvenait surtout de cet ep magistral, nous ramenant aux heures
de gloire de Cat Power : même envie d'en découdre avec le monde
entier depuis sa chambre, même beauté fièrement rèche.
L'idée d'entendre The Artificial Sea, son projet avec Kevin Smith
(aucun lien avec le réalisateur de Clerks) était donc forcément
alléchante. Pour être franc, la déception fût grande
aux premières écoutes, puisqu'à la place de chansons à la
colère contenue, on y entend plutôt une sorte de Bjork en goguette,
perdue dans une grande ville.
La fuite, voilà justement un excellent moyen pour finir par rentrer dans ce disque, beaucoup plus organique qu'on pourrait le penser de prime abord. Comme si on pouvait le découper en deux, on se dit que la meilleure façon de découvrir ce City Island serait de prendre sa voiture et de la lancer dans une direction inconnue. Et là première partie du disque. Ensuite, une fois débarqué(e) dans cette location nouvelle, apprendre à l'apprivoiser. D'où la seconde partie (imaginaire, rappelons le) du disque.
Les chansons sont en effet assez abstraites pour devoir nécessiter plusieurs écoutes avant de pouvoir mener à bien leur mission de séduction. Comme bien souvent la plongée totale dans l'inconnu pour l'auditeur semble un peu abrupte avant de révéler ses charmes, le faisant au compte-goutte, presque avec un plaisir pervers.
Ca n'est donc pas un hasard si c'est sur la dernière partie du disque qu'Alina Simone décide de finir par se (dé)livrer un peu plus, agrippant sa guitare comme on peut s'accaparer quelques bribes d'optimisme, même dans les situations les plus compromises. Evitant avec soin de faire exploser ses notes, la charmante américaine se montre alors sous son meilleur profil pour broder des douces toiles, portées par une voix enjoleuse et parfaite d'un bout à l'autre du disque. On pourra ainsi voir différement le début du disque, qui comme un parcours initiatique, finit par mener à la beauté sensible et etherée du folk d'Alina Simone. Qu'on a donc de plus en plus envie de retrouver au plus vite.
www.liepaper.com
The Artificial Sea is a collaboration between Kevin C. Smith and Alina Simone.
Simone is a singer/songwriter who released her debut EP (Prettier In The
Dark) to scattered acclaim in 2005. Simone is currently preparing a full
length release for her solo vehicle. Until then, there is City Island, which,
so far, is only being released in Europe. Simone’s solo work tends
to be a stripped-down affair that is often compared to the likes of Cat Power,
Mirah, and PJ Harvey. City Island will no doubt receive Portishead and Beth
Gibbons comparisons, and while that is acceptable to an extent, there is
a lot more happening here.
Smith, a former music instructor, reportedly met Simone while giving a theremin lesson. He plays all of the instruments (guitar, synth, DIY electronics) on City Island and Simone, of course, sings. “Gloryhole,” the opening track, gives the best representation of City Island. Drums and bass boom alongside Simone’s haunting voice as a synth swirls through the wreckage. The theatrical “Tunnel Vision” offers Simone’s best vocal performance to date and is the track that truly sold me on City Island. “The Light of 1,000 Televisions” and “Vor” are, if I dare say, authentic trip-hop, a hard thing to come by these days.
One of the few complaints I have is that “Things We Spent” and “Happy Ending” are too thin to be truly substantial. Granted, City Island pushes Simone in a completely different direction than her solo work. This is an experience that should bode well for her full length. The album establishes Smith as a promising noisemaker and I am interested to hear any future releases from him. It is unfortunate that City Island has yet to solicit a U.S. distributor. This is a successful collaboration worth seeking out.
www.theblackandwhitemag.com
Stop holding your breath for the long promised Portishead reunion. Why? Well,
the reason is wrapped up in 10 trippy songs by The Artificial Sea. City
Island opens with the male-female duo fronting their strongest hooks. "Gloryhole" is
a hypnotic and spacy voyage into artful trip-hop bliss. Alina Simone is loaded
with powerful soul, and these songs prove to be the perfect outlet. Master-instrumentalist
Kevin Smith creates the grooving soundscapes, and he wisely changes tempos
and atmospheres to keep you listening. City Island is an album largely driven
by backbeats, guitars that are shoegazing yet funky, big bass lines, and at
the heart of The Artificial Sea is Simone. Squarely put, bands like Goldfrapp,
Black Box Recorder, and even the aforementioned Portishead, have the vocal
talent to carry records on their lone shoulders. The same can be said about
this band, and like the others, The Artificial Sea is equally propelled by
the musical innovation of Smith. All of the songs safely live within dreamland,
and bare a chic otherworldly presence. The atmospheric moods are urban and
slightly off-kilter, and when you hear City Island as a whole, it's
clear that while they wear some obvious influences, this band is not an imitation
of the past. For fans of every band already mentioned, plus The Go! Team, Cocteau
Twins, and Melt Inside-era Yellow6. Rating: 7.4
www.inkoma.com
Damn good
debut for Artists Kevin C. Smith (NY, usa) and Alina Simone (Kharkiv, Ukraine),
The Artificial Sea's core. Tunnel Visions is on heavy rotation on my current
playlist, such it's obscure, full of desperate love, catchy, - a combination
of upbeat, broken heart cello, guitars and subtle melancholic vocals. Alina's
gentle voice makes me think of a fragile soul between Bjork (Things We Spent)
and Cat Power (Ride This Thing), - and if i mentioned to Portishead it might
only be reductive, if not in reason of the great attention given by Kevin
to composition (Better Living's trip hop ambient), programming, minimal electronics
and sound samples in use. The Light Of 1,000 Televisions, as well Vor (perfect
in its chorus), Milemaker's dramatic beauty or the enchanting lullaby on
diamonica Things We Spent made this album simply imaginative, delicate and
even perfect if chosen as a melodies box to play before You sleep. Warmly
suggested.
by Paul Zimmerman
Somewhere between trip hop, the underworld, and the moon lays The Artificial Sea. This New York two piece cross pollinates genres like Darwin did with roses and has no problems mixing their gothic influences with their sensual desires.
Their debut album City Island is a testament to their ability to genre hop and make music that while dark and intriguing is still appealing. City Island is not a pop album that's all high energy, in fact, it never reaches a pace faster than crawl. It's almost as if The Artificial Sea is like a musical version of the Tortoise and the Hare with the songs just slowly patiently whispering by in an unassuming manner coming to a conclusion in what seems like an eternity later. In addition to moving at a snails pace the songs on City Island are so quiet and ethereal that it truly is possible to hear a pin drop while listening. The Artificial Sea are truly hauntingly stunning band that is not in much of a hurry to be anywhere or make any kind of noise.
Despite their unassuming nature, eerie sound, and The Artificial Sea's master of defying genre boundaries most of the songs on City
Island sounds alike. Throughout the album there really isn't a lot to differentiate each of the songs. Whether its because of the pace, the minimalist arrangements, or something else, the album suffers a bit because of the lack of differentiation between songs.
In listening to City Island it becomes harder and harder to separate tracks from one another and by the time the album ends it plays in your mind like one long song. Its unfortunate because the minimalist nature of the album is intriguing but in the long run works against it.
The Artificial Sea is an intriguing band. Their sparse arrangements and ghostly atmosphere's are very cool but lack that little something that sets them apart. With a bit of work and some divergence The Artificial Sea could be a very very special band.
foutraque
L’auditeur se sent bien, comme s’il était au milieu d’un cocon, en train de survoler des pays étrangement inconnus… Ce disque est donc très réussi et, à ce titre, mérite d’être écouté par le plus grand nombre. Avec un répertoire d’une telle qualité, les prestations scéniques d’Alina Simone et Kevin C. Smith doivent être absolument incroyables!
Opus
"Suggestion and subtlety goes a long way towards holding my interest, be it with a movie, CD, or book. Those are qualities that City Island has, to great effect. The Artificial Sea’s music is a little rough around the edges, but by and large, it’s a solid debut whose restraint leaves the listener wanting more—in a very good way.
Cracked-Reviews
City Island is a wonderful album of moving songs that will definitely enhance the cracked ambience.
Alternatifs
Rencontre improbable et pourtant magique, compositions terrifiante de sensibilité, The Artificial Sea pose une empreinte indélébile sur les sonorités trip-hop actuelles.
Les Inrockuptibles
Une carcasse aux formes pourtant étonnamment charnelles et sexy, bricolée à la main verte par Kevin C. Smith : instruments organiques épars et électronique discrète y forment un dédale nettement plus riche et complexe qu’une écoute discrète le laisserait supposer – un écrin de glace pour la voix pétrifiante d’Alina Simone, version cryogénisée de Nina Simone.
Rockomondo
Sa beauté crépusculaire n'a pas fini de nous hanter.
Dream Magazine
Erik Satie meets Hood on Björk’s patio.
La MagicBox
Bref en dépit de son The Artificial Sea distille de l’authenticité par tous les pores de sa musique. 9/10