The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • TOTD
  • Track Of The Week
  • Books + Movies
  • About
16
new
SPILL FEATURE: SOMEBODY HAS TO BE ON MUSHROOMS, RIGHT? – A CONVERSATION WITH DIRTY HONEY’S JOHN NOTTO & JUSTIN SMOLIAN
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS – A VULGAR DISPLAY OF PANTERA (VIRTUAL EVENT)
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ROBERT COTTER – MISSING YOU
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TWIN TRIBES – ALTARS
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: WE FOUND A LOVEBIRD – “BLOOD AND THE DIRT”
SPILL CANADIAN VIDEO PREMIERE: MARVA VON THEO – “DISSOLVE”
SPILL TRACK OF THE WEEK: SUZI MOON – “SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: TOO MUCH JOY – “THAT’S THE WAY THAT THE WORLD GOES ROUND”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: THE LIVING PINS – “JAGUAR”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: ANDY LAPLEGUA (COMBICHRIST) REVEALS NEW SOLO PROJECT LAPLEGUA & DROPS SINGLE “I WILL HEAL” THROUGH OUT OF LINE MUSIC
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: SEEPEOPLES – “IT FEELS HEAVY”
SPILL FEATURE: THE EXECUTIONERS ARE BACK! – A CONVERSATION WITH PAUL MAZURKIEWICZ OF CANNIBAL CORPSE
SPILL NORTH AMERICAN VIDEO PREMIERE: SUZI MOON – “SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: IDA MARIA – “SICK OF YOU”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: QUEENS & KINGS – “GOING THROUGH HELL”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: FLORIDA ROCKERS FAME ON FIRE RELEASE DELUXE EDITION OF ‘LEVELS’ VIA HOPELESS RECORDS
  • MORE
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • TOTD
  • Track Of The Week
  • Books + Movies
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • TOTD
    • Track Of The Week
    • Books + Movies
    • About
Album Reviews
88
Editor Pick
previous article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: QUINN DeVEAUX - BOOK OF SOUL
next article
SPILL FEATURE: RETURNING THE EL MOCAMBO TO ITS FORMER GLORY - THE MONUMENTAL RETURN OF AN ICONIC TORONTO VENUE

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BONNETTA/HUIZINGA – DARK WATCHERS

Bonnetta/Huizinga

Bonnetta/Huizinga
Dark Watchers
Idea Of North Recordings

Jonas Bonnetta  of Evening Hymns, and violinist Edwin Huizinga of The Wooden Sky, wrote Dark Watchers in seclusion in Big Sur, in January 2018. Not sure why it took so long to reach record shops, but I am only happy it did. This is a rare treat in music, a spacious, moving, strong, experimental instrumental album.

While Huizinga handles violins and upright bass, Bonnetta plays piano, electronics, synthesizers, clarinet, and lloopp. Nicholas Leahy helps out with pedal steel. The album is tied in with nature, featuring field recordings of birds, water, and overall outdoor ambiance. The album  also features a track influenced by poet Robinson Jeffers titled “Come Jeffers”.

While it is unusual for an instrumental album to be influenced by poetry, it makes sense with this album. The music is very much a landscape. The sounds and arrangements take you into another place, full of nature. And in many ways, the music becomes very cinematic.

The music ranges from downright experimental, such as the opening track “Glen Deven Ranch # 3” which moves from a simple piano into a cacophony of sound, to stirring, melodic beautiful melodies such as “Carlos Kills The Goat”. This is one cohesive album. At no time does the album become boring or difficult. What the album does do,  is to allow one’s mind to wander. Huizinga’s violin weaves in and out over Bonnetta’s instrumentation. Sometimes overpowering the bass track, but again, it is planned and it all comes together.

The music at times borders on Celtic violin and other times it is close to classical. Overall, this is a magnificent album. Dark Waters is exactly as the title states, very deep, mysterious and sometimes a little scary, but in the end the listener is left feeling peaceful, and that is quite an achievement. Dark Waters is poetic, and totally original.



Artist Links

website_flat_2016 facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 instagram_flat_2016

Editor Pick
Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BONNETTA/HUIZINGA – DARK WATCHERS

Author

Aaron Badgley

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
10
9.0
Total Spill Rating
10
Total Fan Rating
1 rating
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewalbum reviewsbonnetta/huizingadark watchersdark watchers #1edwin huizingaevening hymnsidea of north recordingsjonas bonnettathe wooden sky
album review, album reviews, bonnetta/huizinga, dark watchers, dark watchers #1, edwin huizinga, evening hymns, idea of north recordings, jonas bonnetta, the wooden sky
About the Author
Aaron Badgley
Aaron Badgley
Born and raised in Whitby, Aaron discovered music through his love of The Beatles. This led to a career in radio, writing for various publications, and ultimately a radio show about The Beatles (Beatles Universe), which ran for over four years. When not immersed in music, Aaron enjoys spending time with the loves of his life -- his wife Andrea, and daughters Emily and Linda (all of whom have an intense love of music too).
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewalbum reviewsedwin huizinga
 
7.0
Robert Cotter
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ROBERT COTTER – MISSING YOU

by Gerrod Harris on April 9, 2021
Robert Cotter Missing You WeWantSounds Before Chic set the disco world on fire with the quintessential hit, “Le Freak” in 1978, they were The Big Apple Band, fronted by Robert Cotter. [...]
 
9.0
Twin Tribes
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TWIN TRIBES – ALTARS

by Jake Collier on April 9, 2021
Twin Tribes Altars Negative Gain/Young & Cold Records/Manic Depression Records Darkwave duo du jour, Twin Tribes, have released Altars, a remix album that encompasses their first two [...]
 
6.0
Badfinger
8.7

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BADFINGER – NO MATTER WHAT – REVISITING THE HITS

by Aaron Badgley on March 26, 2021
Badfinger No Matter What – Revisiting The Hits Cleopatra Records I love Badfinger. I maintain that they are one of the most underrated bands of all time, and [...]
 
8.0
Jon Anderson

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JON ANDERSON – OLIAS OF SUNHILLOW (REMASTERED EDITION)

by Aaron Badgley on March 26, 2021
Jon Anderson Olias Of Sunhillow (Remastered Edition) Esoteric Recordings Olias Of Sunhillow by Jon Anderson, originally released in 1976,  was the first solo [...]
 
8.0
Cathal Coughlan

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CATHAL COUGHLAN – SONG OF CO-AKLAN

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on March 26, 2021
Cathal Coughlan Song Of Co-Aklan Dimple Discs If you are able to name one of the cult artists from the Irish music scene, the name of Cathal Coughlan would be probably one of the [...]
Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ROBERT COTTER – MISSING YOU
7.0
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TWIN TRIBES – ALTARS
9.0
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BADFINGER – NO MATTER WHAT – REVISI...
6.0
8.7
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JON ANDERSON – OLIAS OF SUNHILLOW (REMAST...
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CATHAL COUGHLAN – SONG OF CO-AKLAN
8.0
Latest Live Reviews
View All
 
Philip H. Anselmo

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS – A VULGAR DISPLAY OF PANTERA (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Gerrod Harris on April 9, 2021
20
 
Lord Huron

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 3 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Robert Defina on March 18, 2021
9
 
Lord Huron

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 2 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Robert Defina on February 18, 2021
239
 
Small Town Titans

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: SMALL TOWN TITANS @ SMT HQ, YORK (PA)

by Gerrod Harris on February 6, 2021
45
 
Lord Huron

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 1 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Robert Defina on January 7, 2021
574
Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Track Of The Week
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Spill Magazine Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2020 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NOFX – SINGLE ALBUM
2124
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JON BATISTE – WE ARE
916
 
SPILL CONTEST: MANNEQUIN VANITY RECORDS GIVEAWAY – ENTER TO WIN A GIANT MVR PRIZE PACK!
807
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CHEVELLE – NIRATIAS
718
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY – MECHANICAL SOUL
713
 
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: CHURCH OF TREES FEAT. CAROLE POPE – “WORLD’S A BITCH”
476
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLACK PISTOL FIRE – LOOK ALIVE
429
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STRAWBS – SETTLEMENT
398
 
SPILL NEW MUSIC: “SHAMELESS” STAR WILLIAM H. MACY RELEASES DEBUT SINGLE “WHISKEY DELL” UNDER “WILLIE CREEKS” MONIKER
354
 
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: SEEPEOPLES – “IT FEELS HEAVY”
334
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DANIEL LANOIS – HEAVY SUN
324
 
SPILL FEATURE: HIS STORY RIGHT NOW – A CONVERSATION WITH cEvin Key
315
 
SPILL FEATURE: TRULY ORCHESTRATING HIS OWN LIFE – A CONVERSATION WITH RICK SPRINGFIELD
298
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES