• PRESS
New reviews are coming in steadily for both
the Titania and Angelmark albums. More reviews will be added to this
page as they are discovered.
• "Titania"
(2003) Brainwashed, US
• "Angelmark"
(2003) Brainwashed, US
• "Titania"
(2003) Leonard's Lair, UK
• "Angelmark"
(2003) Leonard's Lair, UK
 "Titania"
(2003)
Brainwashed,
US
by Lucas Schleicher
Real sensuality and breathtaking eroticism do not spontaneously combust
into existence: both are difficult and intricate structures that require
careful study. Mandy Cousins and Michael Turner shape huge and sprawling
spaces out of the most profane and sacred sounds; the result is a
stream of voluptuous and melting music bordering on the heavenly.
Listening to Titania for the first time reminded me of rolling hills
and fine mists, decaying architecture and ivy. The combination of
Cousins' fine voice with Turner's fluent orchestration creates an
atmosphere that is nearly holy: distant bells ring in towers somewhere
beyond the horizon, guitars echo through long and decorated hallways,
and fires burn on lonely mountain tops covered with snow. The music
is epic and blooming and I can literally feel it grow around and over
me every time I listen to it. With time I've come to realize just
how sensuous the music is and the means by which it attains that sensuality
is absolutely cunning. There's a void that permeates the whole of
the recording; it's somehow present even in when the keyboards are
ringing as if I were in the midst of a grand cathedral. Slowly, over
the course of the album, the music gets inside my blood and leaves
me floating; it slowly peels off every common notion I have until
I am stripped to nothingness. Songs like "Digitaria" and "Postscript"
are like knives that cut deep and leave the strangest and most pleasurable
numbness throughout my body. In short, there's a strange play between
the sacred and the erotic flourishing throughout every note of every
song. It's a tangible and all-consuming tension that manages to put
butterflies in my stomach every time. The strange psychadelia of "Tinsel
Starred" all the way to the ominous and hesitant "Blue Iris Eternal"
keeps me suspended in a void, in a constant struggle between peace
and relaxation and the anxiety of chance.
"Angelmark" (2003)
Brainwashed,
US
by Lucas Schleicher
After hearing Titania, I was eager to know what Michael Turner could
do by himself. Angelmark is his solo project that consists of various
electronic flourishes, six and twelve-string guitars, both electric
and acoustic, piano, and percussive elements. Angelmark is produced
so that the aura of the album has the same infinite feeling as Titania,
the instrumentation, movements, and attitude are unique. Many of the
songs are pastoral sounding and recall the beauty of a sun-struck
prairie while others emit a cool glow that paints a full moon above
the cold air interrupted only be the tops of the tallest and most
jagged trees. The most stunning moments on the album manage to mix
somber and hopeful themes together without being overwhelming, but
there are other moments when the music feels like a funeral procession.
Some of the songs, such as "Wave Upon Wave" sound as if they are lacking
something and the thought springs to mind that perhaps Mandy Cousins
could've done something with these songs that Turner cannot do alone.
Without her voice, some of these tracks sound a bit too synthetic
and they lose some of their emotional appeal. On the other hand there
are tracks like "Light-Splintered Eye" and "Like Places We've Been"
that manage to walk that blurred line between a funeral shroud and
the brilliance of the sun. The latter is a particularly haunting duel
between acoustic guitar and a horn-like synthesizer part that seeps
and crawls through the cracks in the walls as if it were after something
very important and very hidden. The swirling of guitars and keyboards
meshes in some places and at other times borders a bit on the predictable.
Angelmark doesn't quite hit the same soft-spot that Turner's other
project did, but there are some undeniably fine songs to be heard
on this disc.
"Titania" (2003)
Leonard's
Lair, UK
3 out of 5
Titania is the first of two releases which are the brainchild of Canadian
multi-instrumentalist Michael Turner, the second is released under
the name of Angelmark. Titania, though, is a song-based affair, topped
off with the sweet vocals of Mandy Cousins. Although Turner himself
compares the music to Yellow6 this is on the much lighter side of
melancholy which even edges into New Age territory on occasions; in
fact 'Radiance' isn't a million miles away from Clannad but in Titania's
case this is not a bad thing actually. Sometimes - as on the finale
'Blue Iris Eternal' - the music drifts by too innocuously with the
tunes not quite strong enough to lodge in the brain. Yet Turner reveals
a gift for Cocteau Twins-inspired dreaminess on 'Knowing And Not Caring'
and 'Pale Sister' is genuinely mysterious and haunting. This is a
tasteful and technically accomplished album rather than a great one
but certainly merits the occasional listen.
 "Angelmark"
(2003)
Leonard's
Lair, UK
3 out of 5
Released together with Titania, Angelmark is Canadian Michael Turner's
solo instrumental project. Despite dispensing with the services of
a vocalist, the music actually stands up well and is marginally the
better release of the two. In the case of 'Equidistant Trees' - a
beautiful piece of guitar dreaminess - and 'Just Be' (sublime, elegiac
piano) the Yellow6 comparison makes sense and Turner produces his
best work. Another fine track called 'Low And Slow' witnesses desolate
piano caught in a wind tunnel. Granted 'Wave Upon Wave' could be the
accompaniment to an early-80s TV melodrama but it still passes muster
as does the searing guitar lines of 'The Golden Mean'. Other efforts
slip into a background music comfort zone but there's enough here
to keep fans of subtle melancholia satisfied.
Archived below are some of the glowing reviews given to Titania over
the years when they were known as The Sensualists.
• "Boon" (1992) IE magazine, Calgary
• "Lovesongs Of Chaos And Desire" (1994)
Vox magazine, Calgary
• "Lovesongs Of Chaos And Desire"
(1994) The Vault magazine, Edmonton
• "Lovesongs Of Chaos And Desire"
(1994) Dewdrops magazine, California
"Boon" (1992)
IE magazine, Calgary
by Timothy Heck
The Sensualists are from Edmonton and their beautifully packaged and
exceptionally produced demo cassette shows influences of the ethereal
english pop bands from the mid- eighties - the Cocteau Twins, This
Mortal Coil, etc.
However, there is a distinctly Canadian sound added to this, a trace
of Jane Siberry perhaps, something a bit folky in Mandy Cousins' voice
showing through, or it could be the clarity of Michael Turner's synths
and drum arrangements.
"Boon" is charming rather than haunting, an open, summery
sound that's uplifting and refreshing.
"Lovesongs Of Chaos And Desire" (1994)
Vox magazine, Calgary
Turn the lights off. put on your headphones and prepare to drift.
If you have that special someone, then drift together; if you only
have an old photograph, then take it with you. This is the disc aimed
straight for that place in your body where head, heart and soul unite.
Forget long, drawn out guitar solos, images of young bodies slamming
themselves against one another, or angst worn on the outside. This
is a deeper drift, ethereal, subliminal messages caught out of the
corner of your eye as you shuffle along the underpass. The band is
comprised of of two members - Mandy Cousins and Michael Turner, who,
as word of mouth has it, hail from our provincial capital. Ms. Cousins
is responsible for transforming words into ambiance fed by a meticulously
crafted soundscape, courtesy of Mr. Turner. To compare this band to
anyone would only serve as a reference point rather than adequately
describe the talent of this band, they rest comfortably among other
ethereal giants such as the Cocteau Twins or Dead Can Dance but they
are distinct. This is a disc for late nights, early mornings, and
if someone still has the time, afternoon tea. Sensuality is something
to be experienced rather than observed, this band should rank highly
with anyone who prefers to discriminate between sensual and carnal
and prefers vapors instead of concrete. After several encounters with
this disc it has failed to grow tiresome.
"Lovesongs Of Chaos And Desire" (1994)
The Vault magazine, Edmonton
by Stewart
This Edmonton group's CDis over a year old now, but I picked it up
recently and decided that it didn't get nearly the praise that it
deserves. First of all, the production is excellent with every shimmering
guitar and smooth female vocal strain coming through perfectly, on
par with the best acts of this genre worldwide.
Obvious comparisons would be to Cocteau Twins. they even reminded
me a bit of The Mission on the song "Blood Orange", which opens like
"Let Sleeping Dogs Lie". Every song meshes seamlessly into the next
without all sounding the same. The overall effect is the creation
of a subliminally beautiful, sooothing, purifying listening experience.
the audio equivalent of breathing the air after a hard rain. The CD
is available at various music outlets.
"Lovesongs Of Chaos And Desire" (1994)
Dewdrops magazine, California
by Brant Nelson
 Every
so often you come across an album that leaps to the top of the soft
and relaxing pack, coming out far ahead of the flood of mindless new
age dreck, while remaining under the umbrella of "soothing music".
Heidi Berry's "Love" album comes to mind, so does this wonderful album
by canadian band The Sensualists. They create music for dreaming.
about half the album is instrumental, while the other songs are flagged
by an airy but powerful female vocalist. "Knee Deep Sub Zero" recalls
the silky ambiance that Michael Brook invented, while "Blue Winter
Rise" wafts delicate Dif Juz/Felt guitars toward you on a gentle breeze.
The chord changes in "Moonmadness" are gauranteed to leave a lump
in your throat, from the caress of an acoustic guitar to the seemingly
efortless vocal feats. It's so beautiful! "Resolution" sounds very
close to Felt's "A Preacher In New England": gorgeous, as the "Victorialand"-ish
"From Darker Days". If you're searching for the perfect popsong, you
need look no further than "Pulse Drop Pleasure Pop" which more than
lives up to its title. Feel the tension away. A couple tracks go for
a more ethnic or exotic feel: "And Then Some" with its backwards vocals
and percussion resembling Dead Can Dance, and the renaissance festival
stylings of "Buddhabelly". as a fitting end to a full night's worth
of fantastic dreams, "Starlight Fade" provides a tonal sunrise on
a deserted mountain top. Don't let this album slip you by. It's bound
to be hard to find, so write to the band directly and mention this
review.
9 Lilies
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