“Two States of Mind” is more than just the moving final coda for Rose Ribel’s Do Not Move Stones. It also the piece that is perhaps most emblematic of the rich dualities that animate the album. A classically trained professional concert pianist who studied in both Sydney and Vienna and who has performed at some of Asia’s leading concert halls, Rose chose the road less traveled by going down the path of DIY recording for the first time. That meant early morning and late night sessions interrupted only by the occasional intrusions of a wailing siren or a gust of wind rustling the trees against the tin roof above, the sounds of which she delicately wove into the fabric of the music.
Another layer of duality emerges as we learn that while the environment where Do Not Move Stones was created is key to its palpable sense of intimacy, the songs themselves are often dreaming of distant places whether it be an imaginary film or a very real trip to Iceland that left a lasting impression on Rose as she reveals in a recent interview with Clash magazine. In it she explains how sought to evoke that experience in specific passages of music that convey both the wildness and the silence of the immersive landscapes and the memories it left her with.
When I write I imagine films that haven’t been made yet, stories that haven’t been told, wide open landscapes and the northern lights, which I once went looking for in Iceland.
Also a composer for film and theatre, Rose brings the full scope of her vision to life through her collaboration with cellist & composer Ceridwen McCooey who adds tremendous depth and color throughout. Each track is a thing of beauty unto itself, but it is the aforementioned finale that really takes the breath away as piano and cello engage in an increasingly fervent dialogue as if searching for an epiphany that can only end in peaceful acceptance of dualities that cannot be entirely reconciled. It is a poignant and fitting conclusion to what is a remarkable solo debut.
Links: Bandcamp (LP/digital) | Rose Riebl Website | INNI Music
Do Not Move Stones was mastered by Simon Moro and is available from Icelandic independent music label INNI, founded by film and television composer Atli Orvarsson. The album has been released a very limited 12-inch vinyl LP edition with album art & design by Alexandre Souêtre and front cover photo by Laura Michelle along with digital download and streaming options. Rose is INNI’s first Australian artist.
Stationary Travels 