Mark Vennis & Different Place, an excellent English band based in Petersfield, returns with another fine piece of sonic artistry that will not only appeal to their loyal fans but also to all those music enthusiasts looking for marvelously composed and flawlessly performed music. “Solid Ground” is their first piece of work this year, arriving as an adequate follow-up of “Sunrise,” a marvelous extended play we previously wrote about on our pages. Mark Vennis & Different Place continue to break the rules and shapeshift boundaries of several different but complementary music genres, creating a luxurious sound that will appeal to even those picky listeners. That’s the case with “Solid Ground” as well, as they present three different renditions of the same song. The original version offers catchy, memorable, engaging post-punk sound heavily drenched in calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal orchestrations. For a second version, Mark Vennis & Different Place were inspired by John Caprenter’s movie score for Assault on Precinct 13. The third version showcases this incredible composition adapted for the acoustic performance, which sounds marvelous by all means. You’ll notice some of the finest properties borrowed from post-punk, garage, indie rock, psychedelic rock, acoustic rock, and cinematic ambient, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon other elements along the way, because Mark Vennis & Different Place fully stacked these tracks with some of the finest ideas and outstanding musicianship. Therefore, these experimentations with many different yet complementary styles resulted in fascinating material worth revisiting over and over again.
The original rendition opens up this fine piece of sonic artistry and gradually introduces the listeners to what’s about to come up next. “Solid Ground” arrives with a soothing, ethereal, otherworldy ambiance achieved by stacking many guitar layers with precision and finesse. It’s nearly mindblowing how all these layers articulate throughout the entire composition without overwhelming each other. You’ll notice how reverby chord progressions and riffs resonate on one side while the other shines with memorable themes, melodies, harmonies, accentuations, and other sonic delicacies. This comprehensive collection of majestic guitar works not only defines the sonic direction but also shapes a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. Mark Vennis’s soulful, passionate, sincere, confident, emotional, powerful vocal performance elevates all those mentioned instrumentations to new heights, commands attention, and guides the listening apparatus from scratch to finish. The subtle raspiness in his voice offers a touch of rawness while contributing complexity to an already intricate structure. In the meantime, the equally impressive rhythm section delivers profoundly detailed basslines and excellent rhythmic patterns. These instruments bring more power, groove, and tempo to those guitar works, making this composition even more appealing to the ears. As usual, Mark Vennis & Different Place poured heart and soul into this composition, demonstrating their experience, knowledge, creativity, and skills.
The Escape Remix showcases what happens when this song meets electronic samples, sequences, and other sonic maneuvers. It makes the original song even more detailed, with more cleverly incorporated layers lurking around and elevating every segment. The band included more reverb and delay, making this “Solid Ground” similar to those dub remixes. Of course, they were inspired by John Caprenter’s move score, so there’s that eerie, subtly dark yet beautiful psychedelic ambiance roaming around and wrapping around the listening apparatus, refusing to let go long after this song ends. The acoustic rendition reveals stripped-down arrangements that unquestionably give “Solid Ground” an entirely new dimension. Don’t be fooled by these arrangements, because this version is fully stacked with so many layers of beautiful instrumentations. From lush guitar works and powerful basslines to Mark Vennis’s impressive vocal performance and intricate percussive patterns, this acoustic rendition resonates with the same power as the original version.
Mark Vennis & Different Place never cease to amaze with their brilliant ideas and marvelous musicianship. With these three renditions, they showcase how the same song can sound entirely different yet equally impactful. Whether you’re into post-punk, garage, indie, electronic, or acoustic music, “Solid Ground” will appeal to your ears and force you to repeat this outstanding single once again. It’s a masterpiece you surely don’t want to miss. The single is available on all streaming platforms.
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