the edmonton journal:

Of all musical genres, ambient offers the most subjective listing experience. Eschewing traditional song structures and lyrics, there are no words, verses of choruses to spell out the mood or direction of the composition. Instead artists such as Edmonton's Mark Templeton try to evoke moods by tweaking the shapes of sounds and/or "painting" collages of fractured melodies, rhythms or incidental noises. As a result, Frail as Breath is open to endless interpretations every time you listen to the five song EP. Not Alone Anymore, with its sparkly mist and shudders, feels like free-falling through space or it could be a hubcap spinning in slow motion. Drama Section, with its twitters, limping whomps and muffled echoes of human voices, could be a soothing stretch of music. Spring Breakup is the most straightforward track, featuring Tim Batke's distant, muted sax. As Frail as Breath is, it's also fleeting - clocking in under 15 minutes. Give us more, Mark!

Sandra Sperounes
09/24/2005