TRACKLIST

1. Jeka. . . . . . . . . . .3:56  2. Spetsnaz / Paul Leni . .10:59  3. Zobione Pt.1. . . . . . .6:47  4. Zobione Pt.2. . . . . . .8:10  5. Zobione Pt.3. . . . . . .5:07  6. Karola Bloch . . . . . .12:34  7. Flares Pt.1 . . . . . . .8:39  8. Flares Pt.2 . . . . . . .9:07  9. Flares Pt.3 . . . . . . .5:53 10. Stimmung. . . . . . . . .6:07

Flares is a masterpiece and a rarity too in the massed arena of ambient guitars and electronics, in that it is unswervingly compelling. Genoa-based Port-Royal have structured their debut with loving attention. Wordless, save for occasional vocal samples, there are two central movements, each consisting of three exploratory tracks. Title piece Flares pt 1 to 3, all haze and tranquility, is situated near the end of the album. Meanwhile, the earlier Zobione suite explores territory familiar to Mogwai and M83 fans alike.
Guitars are the stars, certainly, but Port-Royal also make excellent use of electronics, cut-ups, loops and drum sequences. The beats, for example, in the breathtaking Spetsnaz/Paul Leni are wholly satisfying because they don't quite loop, lending the track an abrasive urgency. The opening of Zobione pt3 is the closest Port-Royal sail to WARP territory with lunatic bleeps and squeaks reminiscent of cult 80s band Pink Industry. I love its distorted mania.
Yet Flares is too chilled to be classified IDM. Almost like a classical composition, the album contains recurrent themes, each time refined and re-explored. The Braindance set, clubbers, and afterparty-goers alike would adore Port-Royal, if only they ever found their way to them. An azure blue sunrise would be the perfect backdrop to these majestic swathes. The track Karola Bloch alone could level the chill-out market with consummate ease. Coming down has never been so uplifting.
So many bands in the swelling post-rock market feel the need to punctuate their beautiful guitar doodling with loud, angry crescendos. There is a place for that, naturally but overused, the effect can wear predictably thin. Don't approach Flares expecting any such rage. You will not be spoonfed by Port-Royal. The unimaginative need not apply. Instead, Flares is a lush, beautifully textured canvas. Like imaginary fireworks on a Rothko horizon, splashes of prettiness and joy are already there but there are spaces between the brushstrokes to allow a dreamers mind to wander.
Another one for full immersion then. Say 'no' to remote controls. Say 'yes' to headphones and refreshment of your choice. In fact, if you do jack the phones in, you'll be treated to one of the best production mixes I've heard in a while. Guitars float around you like a shoal of fish in gently moving waters. The album concludes with the ambient Stimmung. Regretful piano slowly giving way to a wordless hymn, Stimmung would not be out of place on Sigur Ros ( ) album. I cannot think of higher praise.

SPOILER (EAC Log + Checking AR)

CODE Exact Audio Copy V0.99 prebeta 4 from 23. January 2008 EAC extraction logfile from 4. February 2009, 19:16 Port-Royal / Flares Used drive  : PIONEER DVD-RW  DVR-216D  Adapter: 0  ID: 1 Read mode              : Secure Utilize accurate stream : Yes Defeat audio cache      : Yes Make use of C2 pointers : No Read offset correction                      : 96 Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out          : No Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes Delete leading and trailing silent blocks  : No Null samples used in CRC calculations      : Yes Used interface                              : Installed external ASPI interface Gap handling                                : Appended to previous track Used output format              : User Defined Encoder Selected bitrate                : 1024 kBit/s Quality                        : High Add ID3 tag                    : No Command line compressor        : C:\Program Files (x86)\FLAC\flac.exe Additional command line options : -V -8 -T "artist=%a" -T "title=%t" -T "album=%g" -T "date=%y" -T "tracknumber=%n" -T "genre=%m" %s TOC of the extracted CD     Track |  Start  |  Length  | Start sector | End sector     ---------------------------------------------------------         1  |  0:00.00 |  3:56.22 |        0    |    17721          2  |  3:56.22 | 10:59.13 |    17722    |    67159          3  | 14:55.35 |  6:47.48 |    67160    |    97732          4  | 21:43.08 |  8:10.09 |    97733    |  134491          5  | 29:53.17 |  5:07.07 |    134492    |  157523          6  | 35:00.24 | 12:34.18 |    157524    |  214091          7  | 47:34.42 |  8:39.63 |    214092    |  253079          8  | 56:14.30 |  9:07.62 |    253080    |  294166          9  | 65:22.17 |  5:53.44 |    294167    |  320685        10  | 71:15.61 |  6:07.00 |    320686    |  348210  Track  1     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\01 - Jeka.wav     Pre-gap length  0:00:02.00     Peak level 97.7 %     Track quality 100.0 %     Test CRC 3129B167     Copy CRC 3129B167     Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2)  [46F6E44B], AccurateRip returned [D83E9C45]     Copy OK Track  2     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\02 - Spetsnaz,Paul Leni.wav     Peak level 97.7 %     Track quality 100.0 %     Test CRC F4B4AA1C     Copy CRC F4B4AA1C     Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2)  [18F0F81B], AccurateRip returned [4F82E3B9]     Copy OK Track  3     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\03 - Zobione pt.1.wav     Peak level 97.7 %     Track quality 100.0 %     Test CRC 32F305A7     Copy CRC 32F305A7     Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2)  [2C0D4242], AccurateRip returned [FC2D5B9E]     Copy OK Track  4     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\04 - Zobione pt.2.wav     Peak level 97.7 %     Track quality 99.9 %     Test CRC CFFCD3BD     Copy CRC CFFCD3BD     Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2)  [7572AB4D], AccurateRip returned [D80AE8A5]     Copy OK Track  5     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\05 - Zobione pt.3.wav     Peak level 97.7 %     Track quality 100.0 %     Test CRC 77A0A453     Copy CRC 77A0A453     Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2)  [DC891063], AccurateRip returned [E98470D4]     Copy OK Track  6     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\06 - Karola Bloch.wav     Peak level 97.7 %     Track quality 100.0 %     Test CRC 9120FD5F     Copy CRC 9120FD5F     Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2)  [ACC3601E], AccurateRip returned [9AF9490F]     Copy OK Track  7     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\07 - Flares pt.1.wav     Peak level 97.7 %     Track quality 100.0 %     Test CRC 3AD2B158     Copy CRC 3AD2B158     Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2)  [0968750D], AccurateRip returned [A30DAD9F]     Copy OK Track  8     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\08 - Flares pt.2.wav     Peak level 97.7 %     Track quality 100.0 %     Test CRC 9E7A6409     Copy CRC 9E7A6409     Accurately ripped (confidence 2)  [68CBE0CB]     Copy OK Track  9     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\09 - Flares pt.3.wav     Peak level 97.7 %     Track quality 100.0 %     Test CRC 2939492B     Copy CRC 2939492B     Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2)  [ECB897C0], AccurateRip returned [98A058C7]     Copy OK Track 10     Filename C:\Users\hiekka\eac rips\flares\10 - Stimmung.wav     Peak level 99.3 %     Track quality 100.0 %     Test CRC 9729CD97     Copy CRC 9729CD97     Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2)  [5AA18BD8], AccurateRip returned [E6798DAE]     Copy OK 1 track(s) accurately ripped 9 track(s) could not be verified as accurate Some tracks could not be verified as accurate No errors occurred End of status report ------------------------------------- [Verification date: 09/05/2009 3.08.38] [Disc ID: 001d10e3-00ebccf5-9912220a] Track [ CRC    ] Status 01 [46f6e44b] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 02 [18f0f81b] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 03 [2c0d4242] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 04 [7572ab4d] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 05 [dc891063] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 06 [acc3601e] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 07 [0968750d] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 08 [68cbe0cb] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 09 [ecb897c0] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 10 [5aa18bd8] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1 Offsetted by -679: 01 [d83e9c45] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 02 [4f82e3b9] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 03 [fc2d5b9e] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 04 [d80ae8a5] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 05 [e98470d4] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 06 [9af9490f] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 07 [a30dad9f] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 08 [d737cc76] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 09 [98a058c7] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 10 [e6798dae] (03/06) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #2 Track [ CRC32  ] [W/O NULL] [  LOG  ] -- [1ADA5907] [C81D7B65] 01 [3129B167] [031E7068]   CRC32  02 [F4B4AA1C] [4DCFCFBC]   CRC32  03 [32F305A7] [4A46AD99]   CRC32  04 [CFFCD3BD] [065F1F5F]   CRC32  05 [77A0A453] [900CDA13]   CRC32  06 [9120FD5F] [B69CC963]   CRC32  07 [3AD2B158] [78712EF3]   CRC32  08 [9E7A6409] [51B6108A]   CRC32  09 [2939492B] [977A219C]   CRC32  10 [9729CD97] [7657C70D]   CRC32

BT Repack. Thanks a lot to the Original Releaser!

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