I'm probably one of the only people who will look at Temjiin's choice of album art for Diamond Scattered Jet Black Curtain and immediately think of Kwoon's Tales & Dreams. Perhaps I am in the minority, but I don't see too many jellyfish adorning the front of CDs these days. Admittedly, Temjiin grounds its cover in reality, appropriately placing the oddly shaped creatures in the ocean (its natural habitat), whereas Kwoon's disc utilizes the surreal notion as much as humanly possible and the creatures fly far into the ghastly night. What does this have to do with Diamond Scattered Jet Black Curtain? Honestly, nothing. These ambient artists have a knack for providing very little background information about themselves, so all we can really discern is that Temjiin is a trio of (presumably) male musicians residing in the United Kingdom. Credits also seem to indicate that one member is responsible for writing the music, one is responsible for production of the music, and one is responsible for the art, but I'd hate to jump to conclusions. Point being, if that's the case, then really we can only blame Christopher Tsui if this EP is a total bust

Lucky for Tsui, Diamond Scattered Jet Black Curtain is more than just pretty artwork and slick production. Substance is delivered in the form of swelling ambient tracks, washing over the listener like a high tide at midnight. Be careful not to become too entranced by the endless waves of reverb and delay, else you'll find yourself quickly drifting out to sea. There is an undeniable sense of déjà vu resonating throughout the various layers of the CD, which match up well with the 'weightless and floating on the top of the ocean' imagery that the music evokes. "Slept in the Snow" and "Tracers" promptly wear in the delay pedals, stretching notes deep down into the bottom of the ocean until there's not enough warmth left to sustain the listener. Electronic beats are carefully placed around this framework; too much attention would distract from the hypnosis at work and too little allows the mind to wander in anticipation. A balance is hence reached, accentuated by a fluctuation in the energy department, much like the rest of the undulating art. "Moth Clouds" calls upon reverb for more power and begins to blur the fine line between consciousness and unconsciousness that Temjiin walks so finely. This is an important distinction, as the former relies on empirical navigation (ala Hammock), whereas the latter is more cerebral in nature (ala Stars of the Lid). "Reverie" snaps the listener back to an upright position, as vocals provide a tangible anchor for the attentively retarded, and stronger guitar melodies provide more recognizable structure to the track. The five track EP ends with "Eidolon," the longest piece on offer, which suitably recaptures the band's wondrous gaze. Here, the web of wavering guitar lines and samples slowly gives way to desolate droning and ends the CD in a cumulation of styles ... and safely we drift back to shore.

Due to the high concentration of pulsating ambient waves (not particles), Diamond Scattered Jet Black Curtain will be welcomed by fans of Hammock, Lights Out Asia, and Eluvium. Temjiin separates themselves slightly by decreasing the intensity of the tracks and working on a more minimalist node. Although this is mostly a guitar and computer based project, occasional surprises are found in acoustic guitar (just try to find it!) and sparse vocals. In the future, I'd love to see Temjiin explore these routes, particularly that of ambientacoustic, as no one has really mastered this approach yet, and why not Temjiin? Otherwise, much of the twenty seven minute EP is standard fair, yet it does prevent stagnation by consciously limiting itself to less than thirty minutes without shortchanging the listener. What more can you ask out of a debut EP? 9.12 has scored a hit with Temjiin, let's hope they keep coming.

-Lee Whitefield