GutterPutter

Hailing from Taipei, Cicada is a Taiwan-based music group that’s been around for a good while since 2009. Despite having released seven albums at the time of writing, the band receives little attention outside of its little island. The website’s biography, while saying little about the experiences of each member, does mention that the band goes with its chosen name as most people remember cicadas for their sound rather than their appearance. Pretty poetic given that a lot of their records are conceptually based around creating an atmosphere that’s grounded in the geographic source materials.

Seeking the Sources of Dreams is inspired by the composer’s travels around the Central Mountain Range, the many rows of hills and mountains that occupies nearly half of Taiwan. According to the bandcamp description, the album’s central theme is ‘rain and water […] Through the music we once again hiked the forest trail between the physical home to/from the spiritual home.’ Already you have the impression that the evocativeness of ambient music will help set the album into motion. In practice, the band adheres to the classical style of chamber music with its elegance and small number of performers. In the album, there were only a few instruments. Those are cellos, violins, pianos, and an acoustic guitar. 

The last album I’ve reviewed that’s similar in a way to this one is myfeverdream’s A Rough and Beautiful Place as one of my capsule reviews. While the two records do share some similarities with the emphasis on a more meditative and immersive experience, I find Seeking the Sources of Dreams to be a more fulfilling listen. It’s entirely centred around its instrumentations without any overt production editing. Its mixing puts full weight on each note that’s been played without an ounce of awkward scratching or dissonance. ‘On the Way to the Glacial Cirque’ is one beautiful example as each sound piece doesn’t overlap with each other for too long. Much like nature, Cicada doesn’t concern themselves with the need to throw in any extra alterations to stand out. Its charm alone will do the trick.

This leads to one of my biggest compliments on the album; there’s a certain theatricality of it that makes you feel like you are trekking across a forest or the mountain. While there are moments where all the instruments collide together to try and make you feel breathless, the best moments are always in its subdued nature. The twinkly piano notes that is backed by the intertwined mix of cellos and violins in the title track, just around two and a half minutes in, is gorgeous in its sublimity as the crescendo closes in. ‘Remains of Ancient Trees’ has its last half be reliant on the sparse progression of its sounds, letting in to the bowed accompaniments to take charge. As each instrument offers a certain personality in their tone to get you to feel, it makes ‘Forest Trail to the Home Away’ all the more bittersweet thanks to the minor notes.

Thus, Seeking the Sources of Dreams makes for a lovely little listen to get into. Those who are into modern classical or at least a pleasant listen may find this to be a gem. Thanks to it not being overproduced, it really sets itself up as an experience for you to imagine going on an adventure to spiritually reward yourself. I do admit that its lack of even a tiny bit of experimentation, outside of its atmospheric theme, will cause more left-field fans to find it as either a little tune at best or a dull cheesy piece of class at worst. It might not be a remarkably special gem, but it’s nonetheless a treasure to keep yourself attuned to nature.