A Pleasant Find
author: Tavis Allen
How did I come upon this album? Oh yes, I happened to be looking at Craigslist for musicians. I clicked on Ali Shayesteh's listing, which led me to his myspace page, and subsequently the Human Life Index page. I have been a longtime fan of Secret Chiefs 3, so HLI's music was something I was familiar with.
Musically, this band is tight and knows their way around their respective instruments. With the instrumentation they utilized, the band achieves a full sound with many timbres.
Production wise, the album (for my ears) doesn't breath. It has the same suffocating 'scooped EQ' sound reminiscent of Metallica's '...And Justice For All', which works for that genre, but not so much with acoustic instruments. . Naturally in a live situation there is competition from the drums and guitar, but in the studio a warmer sound could be achieved with the strings. I did like the panning of the instruments, especially the drums.
Overall, it is a good listen, just not long enough (Dream Theater spoiled me). It does get a bit repetitive, so it is I feel best when mixed in with songs of a similar pedigree. I have a suspicion that they put on a good live show. Peace.
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Mls Kng Rchstruh
author: David Lilly
So there they were, floating just below the ceiling, wondering where this exotic, danceable, Middle Eastern mist of a sound that was flowing through them was coming from. Moments or weeks later, they were not sure, when they resumed cognizance of being back in their bodies; the sound continued playing, but they were now acutely aware of it in their ears rather than feeling it flowing through them, or did I get that reversed? I explained to them that it is the sound of the Human Life Index, and now I tell you that upon allowing this music to flow over, around, and through, You, listener, might envision gyrating belly dancers, cobra snakes doing moves that snake charmers never even thought of, and I swear to Oz, sometimes you can smell incense. Or maybe that’s just the sensual, seductive aroma of a dancer’s perfume mixed with sweat. Whatever it is, there are no lyric sheets, I guarantee. The language of Human Life Index is instrumental, and being that this band is based in Los Angeles, California, we might call it ironic that they sound as if from so far away from there. The word on the street (or highway, as in www) is that if you dig artists such as and akin to Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, King Crimson, and Mike Oldfield, then you will likely dig HLI. I do, and I am and am not, you.
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