'Shapes in Clouds' is the first album by filmforests. Every sound on the album is created entirely from the human voice, and the compositions are made from an intricate weaving of these sounds on a sequencer. The music is intended to continue the choral tradition of tonal music.
REVIEWS:
"Once again, Verlaine Record’s Thom Carter has released upon the freelance musician’s world, a pleasurable bit of creative chaos under yet another moniker. This time around, England’s most eccentric chap has gone organic, in a manner of speaking. Filmforests is a bit of a journey into a more natural, human esque sound. Basically meaning, there are no instruments to be found throughout Shapes In Clouds’, yet it’s far from an acappella album. Yes, the man behind Menhirs Of Er Grah, Black Crown, March Rosetta, and so many more random acts of untarnished independent and atmospheric styled rock/ambience, has created and album using what he knows best….his voice and though process".
"Throughout Shapes In Clouds’ you’ll find a collection of room filling and omnipresent songs that will feel like the after effects of salvia by the time you finish the last track. Thom has an ear for the estranged, and a soul ripe for potential embodiment. It really is rare to hear a man protrude such boundaries of music using only his powerful vocal chords. Filmforests is likely to be compared to Jesus Christ belch the ABC’s. But, way more classy".
"Shapes In The Clouds’ is set to a strictly limited edition run, and can be purchased via the Filmforest Bandcamp page" (COMFORT COMES)
www.comfortcomes.com/2010/06/30/review-filmforests-shapes-in-clouds/
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"Shapes in Clouds is Thom Carter’s first release as filmforests, and here he explores different ground than on past projects under other monikers (Black Crown, Minimal States, etc.). This EP is based solely on recordings of Carter's own voice. Instrumentalists like Francois Houle have for years stretched the limits of their instruments by imposing such limitations. Many artists have made incredible work when limited to a pre-conceived set of boundaries. The goal is to create a complete work that matches both the artist’s and the intended listener’s expectations. Filmforests does not quite reach this goal".
"It seems that lately, many musicians slightly outside of the ‘classical’ tradition have been placing themselves in a pre-compositional framework. This kind of experimental worship largely misses the point: the imposition of these limits is not an end in itself, but a means. The restrictions should encourage the artist to find every possible alley within a limited range of options and to create a piece using the best results".
"Shapes in Clouds features basically two characters: Carter’s perfectly lovely voice and some overbearing reverb. In the opening track, “For All My Love I Have Become Bones,” Carter sings two three-note phrases, the first descending, the second ascending, before retreating to the same final third note. He repeats these two phrases, then begins to sing another diatonic phrase over the looping of the first pattern. The track is harmonically simple and structurally naked. The hissing, digital reverb that was merely odd when it accompanied one layer becomes distracting when it accompanies all of them. “It Rings in Your Head” comes next and basically repeats the same pattern".
“Listening Mirror” introduces some welcome contrast, with Carter giving his melodic lines more space and adding a long delay to create rhythmic interest between lines. The use of long, droning, static rather than banal, looping melodies creates more engaging harmony, culminating near the halfway point with the introduction of some light percussive and electronic sounds. These create a solitary moment of unique beauty".
"The idea of a voice-only record is nothing new. Björk’s 2004 album Medúlla was an adventurous examination of the capabilities of the human voice. Her fantastic voice and songwriting were enhanced by the use of beatboxing percussion, Inuit throat singing and children’s choirs. This was a massive achievement that set a high standard for accessible experimentation in pop music".
"While filmforests' singular performer obviously provides a more austere framework, the material itself is at fault. On most tracks ("Listening Mirror" excepted), Carter seems content to sing repetitive, four-square, diatonic melody lines that threaten to topple the project into Chant territory. Carter claims that his music is intended to ‘continue the choral tradition in tonal music’ but there is very little here that does so. The EP's tonal materials are limited to an outdated harmonic idiom. This is regrettable, especially in light of the quality of much of Carter’s other music. His ambient, electronic and piano pieces are definitely worth investigating, and while such a prolific artist can be forgiven for the occasional misstep, one worries that he may be spreading his ideas a bit thin".
-Patrick Nickleson, (THE SILENT BALLET).
thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/3498/Default.aspx 
