Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Eventually all is peace, even in the mind of the author and scribe who have spent their entire lives creating worlds that are mirrors to our own, or satires and punishments that the written word can hope to destroy lethargy, corruption, exhaustion, and intolerance, all must be that we become like the sturdy mountains of old, resolute, finite, towering over the lives of the people below…silent as sunlight watching water evaporate.
For the multitude the name of Hermann Hesse will be one of the unknown, an author of repute who has left a large volume of legacy, but to whom many, outside of native Germany and Switzerland, will be forced to acknowledge they have never heard of. It is this which may lay in dread of all artists, to be remembered as the silent sun, the unknown; and yet it only takes one to embrace the work and re-engage the debate for the soul of one to live on.
It is fitting that one of Liverpool’s most engaging minds and modern composers, the great Neil Campbell, should find the perfect way to re-introduce the name of Hermann Hesse to the public eye, and for the mind behind the work Steppenwolf, to have Neil Campbell as his 21st Century batman, his supporter, is akin to having the calvary guard at your side when you knock on the doors of Oz; it is one of peace, understanding full well that the fairy tale must have a rigid and powerful stance if is to be admired.
Faldum, a journey of the exquisite, a place where fairy tales and moral questions collide, and a work captured by Mr. Campbell in an astonishing eight-piece concept suite that incorporates the performances of Amy Chalmers on violin, Nicole Collarbone on cello, and Jon Lawton on drum programming and electronics, and which brings to life Hermann Hesse’s vision to a dramatic and fiercely defended rapture.
It is in imagination that we see the story of Faldum unfold, and as the mountain which towers above the small town becomes the solitary guide, the inverse is reflected as the four players showcase their craft with joy and accessibility, the charm of which is unmistakable and welcome.
The author may be lost to time, but it only takes one individual to remember them and regift their vision to the world to make them exist in the sunlight once more. A time for fairy tales is always at hand, and who better than those that embrace the world in beauty to replenish other’s appetite for such writing.
A wonderful album by one of Liverpool’s finest, Faldum is a true joy and treat for the music lover.
Neil Campbell releases Faldum on Friday 4th November.
Ian D. Hall