Challenger

VINYL FORMAT. Insound Staff Pick - 2008! Burning Star Core began in 1993 in Cincinnati, OH where it currently resides with primary member C. Spencer Yeh. It is considered a project and not a pseudonym. While the Burning Star Core project has included much wider ensembles, Challenger is a direct solo composition of C. Spencer Yeh. This recording is perhaps Yeh's most revealing, unguarded work. Challenger is a composed work, not an improvisation, with each piece revolving around a central melodic theme, featuring field recordings, which serve as an audio diary. The sounds range from pure tonal mood to huge electronic crescendos. But what's most remarkable is the use of space, where parts come in then drop out to build up the emotion. When the piano sound crashes in 'Mysteries of the Organ,' it reflects a frustration with paradise, a rejection of perfection, a jolt of inexplicable throes of life. In contrast is the quiet, haunting 'Hopelessly Devoted,' which sounds like a love letter written to outer space. These make for an album that is both dynamic yet consistent as a full statement.