Apt.Core: "Rhythms of Remembrance"

Title: Rhythms of Remembrance
Category: Trance/Techno
Artist/Group: Apt.Core
Rating: 4 / 5
Has Christian music finally entered the post-modern age?

It was inevitable, I guess, a fusion that results from the blending of philosophies/cultures with technology and sound. It's way over due.

A quick scan of Apt.Core's music indicates the influence of many sources, including African rhythms and eastern instrumentations. The result is a pulsating mix of electronica, ambient tones, world beat, singing, and the spoken word.

"40", a U2 cover, is the only real "song" on this CD. It features Ginny Owens singing exerpts from Psalm 40. Ginny Owens, from Rocketown Records, displayed her incredible vocal talents in her 1998 debut CD, "Without Condition". Sadly, the track doesn't take advantage of Ginny's unique sound. It relys more on percussions and rhythm to drive the music - I almost didn't recognize Ginny's voice - and yet it works. It flows and swirls, drawling one into a worshipful dance.

Intuitively, I've always known that music has power. Words like "groove" and "drive" are often times used to describe a music's ability to communicate, to move and to stimulate, and now, according to Will Hunt, the creator and producer of Apt.Core, the power to remember. In other words, this is also a concept CD. "The confluence of rhythm and memory" refers to the idea that beats and melodies help us remember words and ideas. From experience, we know it's true; we know that it's easier to remember words that are sung, than just words themselves. Hence the name of the CD, "Rhythms of Remembrance".

The meaning of Apt.Core is imbedded in the idea that the "...center of our being is made sufficient through Jesus..." thus, "...those who are in Christ literally have an 'apt core' in the eyes of God."

Now that's deep.

This blending and borrowing, especially sounds often associated with "club music", like in "Life Inverted", and/or eastern cultures/religions, like in "E.15", may intimidate some Christian sensibilities. Come to think of it, some might even be threaten by it. Irrespective of where you are in that conservative/liberal Christian music spectrum, Apt.Core's sound is sure to be noticed by the post-Star Wars generation (those born after Star Wars). And if the music can help one to meditate on the Word of God, to boot, then I guess Apt.Core is fulfilling it's purpose.

Apt.Core's sound is not really original. Remain In Me sounds like music from the online game Diablo performed by the 80's band The Art of Noice, and Life Inverted, a dance track using Galations 2:20 as the lyrics, sounds like another 80's band, 808 State. Furthermore, sometimes the reading of Scripture sounds very contrived in its attempt to sound "new/cool" - it kind of sounds like the Cylons (from the old t.v series, Battle Star Galactica) reading the Bible. Finally, the concept of Apt.Core's music, to inspire one to worship God by creating a hypnotic focus, is also not new.

On the otherhand, the CD's nine out of the ten tracks are not songs, simply the juxtaposition of rhythms and ambient sounds with Scripture. For example, "E.15" uses Exodus 15:1, while "Creed" uses "The Apostle's Creed". For this reason alone, this CD is ground breaking for the Christian music genre. I don't think there's another Christian CD quite like it. I give it a 4 out of 5 rating.

Check out their website: AptCoreMusic.com

Mark
Kim
8/06/01

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