Gaman. The World of Dust

With Gaman The World of Dust adds a new chapter to its oeuvre. Now eight albums strong. Did Stefan Breuer work closely with Todd Tobias on the previous two releases, Gaman is totally his own album, having written all songs and playing most instruments himself. All songs have guest players of which most have a relationship with Breuer's label Tiny Room Records, are family or have worked with him in the past like Thijs Kuijken of I Am Oak, for whom Breuer played bass for years in the past.

"Gaman is a special record for me", says Stefan Breuer. This is for personal reasons. Where the quality of this album is concerned he can be quite content as well. Gaman is an album filled with rich sounds. From his warm voice the album is build up, instrument by instrument. Breuer is not the best singer in the world but makes the most of the range of his voice. He does not try to make it more than it is and exactly because of this deliberate limitation he highlights his voice's strengths. Slowly and articulated he shares his messages and stories with the listener, who can hear them loud and clear.

Musically a lot comes by. You will find references to folk just as easily as to The Moody Blues, mach II, or a line lifted straight from The Corgis' 'Everybody's Got To Learn Sometimes'. This song, 'Needles', is based on an acoustic guitar, where others are so much more developed around different instruments. Like a singing saw and harp in 'Apocalypse'. The harp is played as if an acoustic guitar would be in a folk song. This is just one example of many. Gaman is a rich album musically and in sound.

A long list of instruments are played by Stefan Breuer himself. He shows his competence on all of them. Many of the extra's come from his guests, although his brother Arno plays most of the bass on the album. You will hear very different instruments like saxophones, a marimba, a trumpet, an accordion and the already mentioned instruments. They all make the sound of Gaman warmer and more special.

Vocally Stefan Breuer is supported by Geri van Essen, Thijs Kuijken, Tamara van Esch (Mevrouw Tamara) en his wife Anneke Nieuwdorp. They each provide a nice background to Breuer's voice. The women even in an angelic way. They really fit into the atmosphere of this album. Everything is in mid tempo, so it comes down to the listening experience and that is exactly where The World of Dust delivers, big time. All together it makes listening to the new The World of Dust a beautiful experience.

Gaman, is Japanese and means "enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity". However, there's nothing unbearable listening to Gaman, the pleasure of this musical trip is all mine.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Gaman here

https://tinyroomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gaman