Lars Horntveth creates worlds of his own with this 36-minute voyage, which never feels reliant on anything but itself (unlike most "cinematic music").
As a member of Norwegian experimenters Jaga Jazzist, Horntveth has been tagged with the "nu-jazz" label. Kaleidoscopic might be described as "nu-classical," a mixture of traditional orchestration, electronic flourishes, and blissfully meditative ambient passages that will endear it to fans of post-rock. With the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra in tow, Horntveth charts a course through swelling strings and quiet melodic interludes, a stream of consciousness that can't be anchored to any predetermined imagery.
It's easy to be swept away by the seamless progression of the arrangements, and the shifting themes and genres make Kaleidoscopic pass by quickly. Too quickly — some sort of epilogue might have made this relatively short album feel less ephemeral. It's still a refreshing opportunity to engage the imagination, if only for a short while.
