The latest releases reviewed

HULK
Rise of a Mystery Tide
Osaka
***
Sometimes it's not so much what you put into the mix as what you leave out that speaks loudest. Producer Thomas Haugh's Silver Thread of Ghosts(2005) demonstrated that he was a dab hand at recognising the finesse required to minimise and streamline sounds without turning the track into a remix of John Cage's 4' 33". The same attention to detail is evident here. Haugh and his band of players polish details without over-buffing. Listen to how he deploys his string players: Instead of following the usual strung-out blueprint and over- egging the symphonic splurge, Haugh goes for italics rather than bold print, all the better to emphasise the true nature of these elegant, graceful, dramatic whispers. Now, that's the sign of a true craftsman.  www.osaka.ie
JIM CARROLL
Download tracks: We the Gathering Stars, Empress Moon