Baris Dai is a multi-instrumentalist based in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and he contacted me shortly after the release of his second EP, Ambient Conditions Part 2, released in December 2022 and following the issue of the first part in 2021.
The EPs deal with seasonal changes in human behaviour, and what is instantly noticeable is the excellent guitar work he produces and an overall soundscape which is very pleasing to the ear, and this is strongly owing to Dai’s production skills and the mastering by Bora Ince.
The EP cover pretty much sums up the pleasing pastoral nature of much of what we hear in this, with a simple field and woods in the distance. As with all instrumental music, the key to successful delivery is to tell a story and a feeling without words, and Dai manages this well.
When Nature Wakes Up opens proceedings and you are immediately struck by the thoughtful guitar chords which welcome the dawn of the new season. When the main riff commences half a minute in, this heralds the beginning of life refreshed, bright and breezy. Some of the heavier chords which follow bring a slight change in mood as if the subject is digging in to the chores required to renew, but the underlying theme reasserts itself and this is a track which features some impressive playing and heralds the joy of life itself.
The tracks segues into Vivid Green & Birds Singing. It sounds absolutely nothing like my favourite Jethro Tull folk period of Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses, but it has a similar impact in that you can smell and hear the vivid sounds of the earth in the countryside, the reason, incidentally, why I am, and will always remain, comfortable living in rural Britain, as opposed to the ghastly cities we have. The opening passage of this track is, in fact, pretty dense, but not in a doom laden manner. The tempo throughout is very alive. The guitar riffs battling the interesting sound effects seem to detail the battles between competing species, or maybe the mating ritual calls, but whatever, this is a track which breathes life.
Both, though, are thoroughly eclipsed by my personal favourite, the EP closer The Rebirth Is Complete. I love the underlying reverberating drums programming which is very clever and provides for a satisfying underlay alongside a simple, but effective, set of bass guitar chords. There is again a contrast between the initial gentler guitar riffs and those which follow after one minute, which ratchet up the intensity of rebirth. A very pleasant addition are the bells which presage the main guitar riff of the track which soars and is extremely good. Again, there is a heavy metal undertone to this, but it is never anything other than uplifting in its execution, and the return of the bells completes an enjoyable experience with the closing chords repeating.
I recommend this, and think that if you enjoy what you hear, you might wish to buy the CD which combines Parts 1 and 2, available at https://barisdai.bandcamp.com/album/ambient-conditions-pt-1-2-cd-only-no-digital-release EP one is a darker affair, reflecting Winter as opposed to the Spring of the second effort. Then Warmth of Scarce Sunlight is especially impressive with some wonderful guitar work and is embedded below.
