Hunter Complex - Call Of The Wild and Void

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Hunter Complex’s “Call Of The Wild and Void” is permeated with images of untamed landscapes in a complex sonic exploration of wilderness and what it means for human beings. A sophisticated mixture of live instruments and synthesizer creates music which is intriguing and deeply enjoyable. Each of the artists contribute to the richness and layered nature of the music and Hunter Complex has written melodies that engage with beauty and contemplation. In the end, the album is a way of looking at the natural world and our connections to it through a pleasing musical lens.

At the center of “Call Of The Wild and Void” are the musical guests with whom the artist works. Each of them brings their own touches and abilities to bear. Aquiles Navarro’s trumpet and Kat Epple’s flute breathe vitality into the music as Hunter Complex showcases their skillful performances with his own musical talent. The other guest artists, Daan de Bruyne, Lucy Valentine, Maarten Broekhuizen, Wolf Meijer, Sjef Huurdeman, Ruben Braeken and Coen Oscar Polack give further layers to the sound.

Hunter Complex composes pieces which are complex and nuanced, moving through different atmospheres and moods as they evolve. His compositional approach results in music that paints strong imagery, traveling across variable terrain and delving deeply into the intersection of emotion and the natural world. The music becomes an opportunity to contemplate where we all sit with nature and how we each cope with that experience, delivered through well-written melodic content.

Atmosphere drenches “Call Of The Wild and Void” with feelings of exploration, the music calling to mind fast flowing rivers and steep mountains. All of the luscious complexity and depth draws the listener further into the world which is being woven in the music. themes of wildness and the limits of human civilization permeate each track and result in an engaging album.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“One More Drift” hovers tentatively as widely spaced chimes ring in transparent lightness before Kat Epple's flute begins to exhale in a steady pulse as panpipes create a caressing environment that circles around brushing percussion. As rhythm adds an undulating sensation, resonant bells are joined by the flute and panpipes climbing together in a gossamer line.

A piano adds energetic encouragement to the exhalations of Kat Epple's flute and pipes while their ringing melodic pattern creates a fantastical atmosphere, evocations of fairy-like beings spilling from the filigreed tones. As the piano chords generate dynamic uplift, tiny lights radiate from delicate synth and the flute dances in a woodsy cascade carrying me into a realm of ancient spirits and beauty.

Lucy Valentine’s guitar has a breezy flow that transmits pure calm as the flute and panpipes come together in a laid back sensation. Piano chords and guitar entangle to produce wonder and magical emotion while the metallic chimes punctuate everything with brightness. The flute is full of the breath of life while the percussion sighs softly and the track slowly slips to a conclusion.

Soft hissing joins resonating notes that extend on a distant bass sweep that continues out as a trumpet breathes with intense light and soothing emotion before“ Voice of the Coast” is filled with a piano intermingling in encouraging notes and percussion begins to tumble as Aquiles Navarro's trumpet calls out with gripping emotion supported by a synth that generates sunlight and the trumpet dances with a piano that lends positivity and forward motion to the percussive pulse.

As Aquiles Navarro's trumpet trails with complete peace and glinting radiance, a hint of darkness flows below and diaphanous sounds drift. Wistful piano glides with melancholy and warmth while the minor key trumpet generates additional sadness while the breath of the music drifts past. pattering rhythms intertwine while the trumpet carries contemplation and hints of hidden pain.

As the brass levitates, the piano provides solidity and richness, emphasizing the emotional complexity that touches me within the track. The trumpet captures discomfort and anxiety, as background sounds balance that uncertainty with serenity. Smooth water feelings flow from the piano as Aquiles Navarro's trumpet shifts with an incorporeal veil of ambience.

Haunting tones along with the loose-limbed piano create contemplation. Percussion is guided by spinning arpeggios while Aquiles Navarro's trumpet and the piano form a line that carries tension and strength while sounds trickle slowly underneath. The piece ends with slowly intermingling notes from the instruments that glide into quiet.

“Back To The World” resonates with a piano line creating thoughtful tenderness alongside an open-toned synth, breathing out with a softness that wraps around me as glimmering notes rise like a morning sun.

The piano entangles with echoing tones to generate a slow awakening and strings shine to complement the synth’s exhalations. The piano is played with a light touch as it evokes deep affection, the chords are strong with a balancing quality as pipe-like notes drift in meditative billows. As the song evolves, trickling sounds descend before bells ring and water splashes.

Steadily ringing sounds move with a bright organic flash to bring “The Lure Of The Animal” alive with a feeling of wondrous brilliance as breathy notes move upward with haunting sounds that spread like an echo through a valley. Majestic excitement flows from the synthesizer as it evokes something wild and free, shining with a fullness and strength that is shaped by notes cutting underneath with sharpness while the piano moves in a buoyant line.

The sounds in the distance create textures that support the piano chords which reach for power and nobility as they dance. Percussion with a metallic flicker intertwines with the darkly-shaded piano, encapsulating all of the beauty of nature and its enchantment. A synth cries out to capture me with its softer qualities while shaker percussion adds a trickling sound as the piano entangles.

With a growing feeling of progress, the piano melody cries out, creating a web of sound that calls to mind a sense of natural freedom. Spangled sounds evoke raindrops, sparkling as if caught by a sudden ray of sun, while the underlayer moves with confidence and the piano continues its strong but affectionate drive. The muted trumpet slowly wanders as crystalline sounds spill and the track exhales into silence.

“Losing The River” flashes like water running as liquid notes wash and the tentative synthesizer creates a gentle pulse as the sweeping chimes sparkle with sunlight. A note of caution is reflected by the single dark sound while above it iridescent light refracts as if shining through trees onto a rushing stream. The piano lends its graceful tones to a melody which is emotively gripping and full of encouragement while the background enchants with fragility and elegance.

The darker sound below has a soft shadow while breezes blow through the other tones as the piano reverberates with freedom and a sense of progress, capturing something fundamentally positive. Sonic layers in the background add rich support to the intertwining piano as it sings with a tinge of melancholy along with its energy and lissome feeling, touching my heart.

There is a bright line of natural power as the large drums collide with noble force and the piano ripples like a river rushing in its bed, spilling over rocks and cascading downward. Colliding beats roll outward like clouds spilling over a mountainside as the piano circles with deep feeling, capturing the overwhelming experience of wandering in wilderness. Resonant tones move with compelling smoothness, trembling like a still pool in the midst of rapids, the piano weaving a picture of exploration and excitement.

As the beats guide, hissing breath sweeps as the reverberant piano calls out in a flow of sonic peace. Each layer of sound wraps around the other, like paint layered on a canvas, evoking the pure beauty of the world around us. Expression touches the piano part while the round toned synth adds a layer of lusciousness while the chimes vibrate with shimmering brilliance and the track comes to a close.

Metallic sounds move unevenly, as if a wire bangs against something before the piano carries “Inbetween Hurricanes” into charmingly delicate life with grace and smooth encouragement. The piano evokes a day of calm and sunny peace, and escape from the dark heaviness that can permeate the world.

Each note seems carefully chosen and touches me, full of caring sensation, deepening the emotional tenor as rain-like sounds splash. The piano is deeply moving and full of intense emotion, shifting between tenderness and meditative weight, trickling sounds descending while the percussion rattles. Exhaling breezes shiver through the background and the track ends with gentleness and a feeling of soothing ease.

Conclusion

“Call Of The Wild and Void” doesn't fit neatly into one genre box, but delivers when it comes to mood, melody and musical complexity. This is an album that delves deeply into our relationship with the natural world as human beings and keeps me interested and listening as it does so.