Vision Eternel Post Previously-Unreleased Track “Sometimes in Absence”
An immediately exploratory feeling guitar piece, the previously-unissued “Sometimes in Absence” is an older recording from Montreal solo outfit Vision Eternel, who in recent years casually dropped the accent mark over the moniker’s second ‘e’ but whose work nonetheless remains evocative, self-aware and, if you’ll pardon the use of the word, romantic. Alexander Julien, the principal behind the project, describes below the sort of wandering path the piece has taken to get to where it is, as well as the importance of Valentine’s Day to the whole aesthetic.
It makes sense if you listen to “Sometimes in Absence,” I think. There’s always a wistful kind of cinematic bent to Vision Eternel‘s work and that’s true here; persistent odes to lost love real or narrative, and a coming together of fictional spheres with genuine emotionality that’s rare in drone or post-black metal, which are probably the two central styles in which Vision Eternel resides, though the still-somehow-tense strum in “Sometimes in Absence” is as malleable as it is minimalist. You can hear any number of aspects to it depending on where your ears are coming from at any given moment, but the loneliness implied by its title is written into its spacious feel. As you listen, if you listen, I’d advise closed eyes and measured breaths, and if you feel silly doing that, it’s okay. We’re all silly sometimes. And in any cast, it’s only two minutes long. You’ll be left to your very serious self in no time, the resonant echo of Julien‘s guitar wisp-fading out at the finish.
This project has seen ups and downs and side-to-sides the last few years — as have we all, to some extent — but “Sometimes in Absence” is a sign of continued life and dedication to the cause, and while it’s obviously not much for fanfare (and it would be weirder if it was), it has a depth and intimacy that leave an impression just the same.
Enjoy:
“Sometimes in Absence” free download: https://www.visioneternel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Sometimes-In-Absence.mp3
This Valentine’s Day marks the sixteenth anniversary of Vision Eternel’s debut extended play, Seul Dans L’obsession. It is also the fourteenth anniversary of the Japanese compilation, An Anthology Of Past Misfortunes, and the eighth anniversary of the extended play Echoes From Forgotten Hearts. All Vision Eternel releases were originally planned to be released on Valentine’s Day, but most of them missed the deadline due to recording, mixing, mastering, artwork or record label delays.
Unfortunately, Vision Eternel does not have the new release it hoped to present its fans in 2023, but since this holiday is such a meaningful and important date in the band’s calendar (and is also Jack Benny’s birthday), we are offering a Valentine’s Day heartbreak treat: Sometimes In Absence, an unreleased rarity from the band’s archives.
Shortly after releasing Vision Eternel’s third concept extended play, Abondance De Périls, in March 2010, work began on what was planned to be Vision Eternel’s first full-length album. The release was to comprise select songs re-recorded from the band’s three previous extended plays, all of which would feature guest appearances. The idea of including guest appearances on the songs sprouted from a time when Vision Eternel was a three-piece band, in early 2008, with Nidal Mourad on acoustic guitar and Adam Kennedy on lead electric guitar. Several issues were faced during the making of this full-length album (principally related to guests not recording their contributions), which ultimately led to its cancellation. Some of its content, along with material planned for the cancelled split 7″ vinyl with Ethereal Beauty, was recycled into Vision Eternel’s fourth concept extended play, The Last Great Torch Song, which was released in March 2012.
Two takes of Sometimes In Absence were tracked during a late night recording session at Mortified Studios (at its Villeray location), from 11:45 P.M. to 12:30 A.M. on May 6th-7th 2010. It was the third song to be recorded during the session, following Sometimes In Isolation (which remained unreleased) and Sometimes In Neglection (which was further developed over the year and was eventually released as Sometimes In Reminiscent Neglection on The Last Great Torch Song). The plan with Sometimes In Absence (which was a re-recording of Season In Absence from Vision Eternel’s 2008 concept extended play Un Automne En Solitude), was for Adam Kennedy to record a guitar solo over the song, but he never got around to it. Aside from playing in the band in early 2008, Kennedy had previously recorded a guitar solo over the song Season In Desperation in 2009, but this song, too, remained unreleased because the backing track had not been re-recorded as planned (which would have resulted with its updated title Sometimes In Desperation).
Sometimes In Absence remained incomplete from its anticipated form and was therefore unused. However, the song later received additional arrangements throughout 2017 and 2018, and was eventually re-recorded as Moments Of Absence, and released on Vision Eternel’s 2020 concept extended play, For Farewell Of Nostalgia. Sometimes In Absence, therefore, presents a stepping stone between Season In Absence and Moments Of Absence.
This year’s Valentines Day Exclusive is accompanied by an original ink drawing by Rain Frances at Rain Frances Art. Frances has provided artwork for past Vision Eternel releases, including For Farewell Of Nostalgia, the An Anthology Of Past Misfortunes boxed set, the Lost Misfortunes series, and the forthcoming Deluxe Edition of Echoes From Forgotten Hearts, as well as previous Valentine’s Day Exclusives.
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