Apr 2
-
“Unashamed”, 4 of 12
Earthy meditation loops of processed voice, bass guitar and wind chime, which resound unceasing throughout my new home by the woods. An album for eating nectarines and grapefruits in the early morning. The sequel to “In Spiral Expression”.
-
-
Admittedly expecting some kind of overdone power electronics show of aggression or forgettable blast of harsh noise, I was quite pleasantly surprised by “Paradise Now”, which is a clever and dare I say tasteful slice of ‘rhythmic noise’, a subgenre somewhere between the danceable yet abrasive industrial of Skinny Puppy’s VIVIsect VI, hard techno, breakbeat, and harsh noise. The songs are simple, to the point- a single beat obliterates all else and cements a hypnotic 4/4 pattern in grainy blobs of distortion. These artists keep the energy high and the sounds fresh through 14 tracks of reasonable 4 minute duration.
AQL opens the album skillfully with a very cinematic piece driven by military marching snares and various synthesized fascimiles of horns, timpanis and other staples of the orchestra. It’s a little cheesy sounding, but surely has that classic martial industrial vibe that says “war is coming!”. Following this is five movements of “Paradise”, the meat of AQL’s side of the split. He is patient, perhaps overly so, in getting to the all-out aggression; the first movement has very deep bass sounds, but not too much percussive going on, and also an oddly placed space ambient interlude. We finally get a really tasty and crisp breakbeat come movement two, and it’s really hard to resist getting out of my chair and dancing. After this point, AQL contributes banger after banger, beats with amazing gravity. There are unexpected but strangely perfect elements, like a noodling rave melody that closes one of the movements, which make this a complete listening experience that keeps you guessing.
HIV+ are consistently paired with Muckrackers for the second half of the release, and they go for the jugular a lot more often than AQL. They must play a lot of Doom as well: classic monster sounds are sampled relatively unprocessed throughout many of these tracks. Because of stuff like that, these tracks have a more ‘fun’ vibe than AQL’s side of the split, despite being named after oil companies. The Spanish lyrics are uttered in a sort of snarling whisper, and the language adds a really nice rhythm to the phrasing.
The production of the disk is actually great to listen to, with the perfect frequency distribution. Everything sounds loud, powerful and crunchy but not unbearable to the ears at loud volumes. Turn it up and get lost in the thick, fuzzed out bass. These artists are real producers, not just crazed sonic terrorists.
The booklet of photographs that comes with the album is lovely, very well printed with nice large photos. The photos themselves are beautiful and stick to a color scheme and theme wonderfully: massive factories built in the midst of fields and rivers, presented in hazy sunset sepia tones. It makes the album feel all the more like ‘protest music’.
This is the perfect music for some kind of apocalyptic party where all the stops have been pulled and there is no tomorrow. The repeating rhythm of this music consumes all, perfect for beatific dancing or drug experiences. In the best way possible, it is the kind of music that inspires anarchy and chaos. Sonically, it is harsh, but remains musical. “Paradise Now” is an underrated gem.
4 stars.
-
“Chaos Redeemed”, 3 of 12
Nympho-mania for your neigh-borhood party.
-
1. State Laughter (Palace of the Slugs Mix)
2. Mortal
3. Chaos Redeemed (Parking Booth Acid)
-
-
-
I present to you, “Encimers”, 2 of 12.
My beloved Emily (pictured on the cover) appeared to me in a dream and related that she was in fact, an ‘encimer’. As days and weeks passed, I pondered whether that made me an encimer too.
This is a slower set. There are a lot of synthetic sounds, but mostly they form a backdrop for midtempo balladry / lyricism. These are songs rather than ‘tracks’, and I think they are the most intense and emotive I’ve done, a testament to the fact the best music does in fact come from the most trying times. Where Toad Expeditions Vol. 1 was angry and violent, “Encimers” is drenched in weary melancholia. Yet somehow, it’s definitely among my most listenable work. Each song remains tuneful as its core. Furthermore, I’ve been working on this one for upwards of 2 years, and carefully picked these songs from the vast amounts of material I’ve generated in that time, so it’s my most concise, consistent album yet.
-
1. Escape This Earth
2. Holofoil
3. The Border Between
4. God, Water and Wood
5. Hallway Wandering Dance
6. Horizons
7. Pinwheeling Skyward (An Except from Dream Flight)
8. Licking the Glass
9. Encimers
10. Beyond the Empty Reaches
11. My Rose
-
-
-
“In Spiral Expression”, 1 of 12.
-
1. Noomium
2. Gopalt
3. Funky Dunky (In Spiral Expression)
4. Teledron
5. Borter (Probb)
6. Tureehy
7. Terromony
8. Sarah Sunrise
[52:38]
-
and feel “funky dunky” ..
-
This is a concept album about the chain-link fence that was twisted into a double helix shape by the elements, some 50 yards from my apartment, which gleamed brightly green in the distance.
-
1. Ritual Rite to Reclaim
2. Consonant Returns
3. Springs Forth (Braindamaged in the Bathtub Mix)
4. Toad Expedition
5. Nymph Trails (Hexanchus Hunting)
6. Gavrinis / The Torches Rhyme
7. The Way the Mind Became
8. The Empty Reaches / Arashi Metro <anvers>
-
In my eyes, the name of AUN has become synonymous with the genre of drone, as they are the perfect embodiment of the endlessly fascinating aesthetic - vast, shimmering celestial tapestries resonating in time and in tune with the infinite networks of natural geometry surrounding us all (as reflected in the artwork). The “Utica” 7″ is a nicely digestible chunk of AUN for once, and provides a concentrated dose of the unifying energies this group specializes in.
As with other releases by this group, the sounds found on “Utica” are like ’singing’ metal, metallic tones so perfectly rounded and tempered as to harmonize in perfect consonance with each other, and in the ear drum. The rippled refractions become extrapolated visions in the mind’s eye, a deep trance inducing stillness takes hold as the lapping rhythms of the pulsations speak to the patience of their creators.
A volley of analog pops loops ad infinitum for half of the title track, anchoring the scintillating shimmer in a glitchy pulse that only creates the illusion of regularity through its many repetitions. The piece really opens up and shines after the sudden cut into a cloudier, denser realm of tones and weather-beaten undulations. I would associate the color gold with this music; the ringing resonance pockets in the higher frequency ranges are the sonic signatures of precious metals.
Oddly enough for a drone release, the tracks do not steadily build, but meander through a series of louder and quieter sections which seem to take place in contrasting environments. AUN dwells in each space for a minute or two before blinking (with a surface noise pop) into a new realm.
“Lelehudah” is even more cut up than the first piece, the different movements made up of different iterations of shifting, dim groans and clanks. A noisy dissonance swells in for a moment only to dissipate into nothing as a forlorn machine tone takes the place of all previous sounds. This is less comforting and more alienating than the first piece.
“Utica” is a great little 7″, fresh and experimental and yet totally representative of AUN’s output overall. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in drone.
Tonight’s “Psytrance Meltdown” show on KAOS was great, and perfect practice if I want to start DJing local psytrance parties. We had 3 hours of psychedelic trance, beginning with the classic epiphany-inducing British goa trance from the mid 90’s and working our way up to twisted digital darkpsy.
Other specialty shows you can look forward to in the near future -
- Next week’s HORRIFYIN’ halloween show, where I pull out all the stops and play the most evil, depraved and tortured noise ever recorded!
- I’m gonna take Oscar of Planet Question Mark’s suggestion and do a show of ‘transcendental ambient sound’… Nocturnal Emissions, Coil, z’ev, Organum and the like. I haven’t set a date yet, but it should be sometime in the next month or two.
Check me out next Friday night at 1 AM on KAOS 89.3 FM!
-
A monstrous beam of will penetrating through several dimensional boundaries. A stylistic lean towards psychedelic trance and heavier bass. Psychic disruption for revelers young & awake.
-
1. iitro
2. Tail Pipe Acid
3. Emily’s Mouths
4. Merile
5. Brieghrnat
6. Sasha Knocks
7. Ionatera
8. Arachnid Mask / Heavy Light
-
-
I’m reviewing this album by Sven Vath, one of the legendary German techno DJs/producers of the last 20 years, from a fairly unique perspective: by all appearances, “Fire”, released in 2002, is a lesser known album by Sven, yet so far it’s my first and only exposure to his music, due to a chance encounter with this disk in a European record store. I originally became interested in Sven through his collaboration with Richie Hawtin, and was happy to find his music as infectiously kinetic as the Plastikman’s, albeit with a more playful and musical aesthetic. He’s produced a diverse selection of tracks for this release, so I’ll discuss them individually.
The extended 9 minute build of “Design Music” opens the album, pushing a thick techno rhythm with an open progressive trance soundspace. The bassline is formed from distorted fuzz, yet EQ’d nicely into smoothness, taking cues from the polished yet aggressive production style of drum & bass. The track layers subtle, percolating percussive riffs and micro-melodies, but never comes to a hook or memorable lead. It’d be easy to say this track is too long, but the production sounds marvellous, and right after I heard the first throbbing, rhythmic filter on the bass (whilst listening in the store), I bought the album.
“Mind Games” introduced me to Sven’s goofy vocals and lyrics, full of sing songy rhymes and cliched vocabulary, and uttered in a pseudo-sultry deadpan speaking voice. After a little while, it’s clear that Vath has no real interest in being taken seriously. His real goal is to heighten the party atmosphere, something these kinky drug mantras accomplish marvellously. “I’m flirting with madness / I’ll make my brain spin”, he intones, and there is masterful processing of his voice. His granulated, pitch shifted muttering is like a horror film serial killer over the phone.
“Shock Ralley” is a let down, 6 minutes of aimless and untuned analog sounds which appear to be operating outside the tempo of the percussion track. Analog synths always sound pleasant, but I fail to see the point of this composition. Its dissonance is empty, as there’s no grimey or dirty vibe to this track, and no discernable emotion, either. The naked, similarly arrhythmic filter sweeps in the latter half of the song do little to help.
“Ghost, Pt. 1″ is a great track with some real swing to its pulse, accomplished through clever delays and stuttering programming. A deep dirty bass enters after a minute or so, and when the kick drops in, I can’t help but move. Sven’s monotone appears again here, in similar rhythm and spirit as in “Mind Games”. “Talk to your ghost / find out who you are”, he commands, as a blaring 9 note lead works its way into your mind, sounding like a Depeche Mode line detuned into hideousness.
“Je T’Aime… Moi Non Plus” is a reprieve that splits the album in two, truly sounding like music from an anime children’s program with its candy coated melody. The cheerful and bubbly acid bass is a pleasant sound, and Sven’s vocals are a hilarious attempt at suave romanticism, not to mention melodic singing! It’s a fun song.
Title track “Fire” is somewhat redundant by this point in the record, sporting the least memorable lyrics yet with “Come on take me higher / Set my heart on fire”, and synths that sounds like a cross between “Shock Ralley” and “Design Music”. The beat and bassline are powerful in combination, though monotonously straight and unadventurous. The bizarre filters and delays on Sven’s voice are the best thing about the song. Sven’s production never loses its perfect balance and hallucinatory organization, but this a b-side quality track, for sure, and I’m bored before the end.
Luckily, the final 3 songs are the most abstract, odd and mind expanding on the disk. “Cala Llonga” is a futuristic, mechanized chillout tune, like Monolake but with more ear-catching and upfront timbres. Breathy chords diffuse slowly into the soft distance, and the loping kick pattern carries us gently along. Muted electro bass stabs are replaced with deep, undulating long tones and the track feels like a night time drive on the highway.
“Steel” is actually quite alarming, channeling the brain smashing terror techno of projects like Matthew Dear’s Audion. The music itself seems bent on destroying the listener’s mental coherency. The kick is consistent, but the swirling, tight ostinatos around it follow a contrasting rhythmic logic, and clash with dizzying effect. As a fan of dark psychedelia, I loved this track, and since it’s the only one of its kind on the disk, I think few could argue that it’s tastefully placed.
“Heisse Schiebe”, the epic closer, is a fitting return to chillout territory, beginning as a muffled exercise in sub bass not dissimilar to Plastikman’s “Consuming” record, unsurprising as Sven’s collaboration with Richie emerged only a year after this album’s release. Trebley, crisp snare hits are subject to long, rhythmic delays, and shimmering infinite reverb creeps up from the backdrop, as do subtle wisps of dissonant, alien chords muted into an unintrusive goo. This track is an intense and cerebral experience.
I don’t doubt that Sven’s classic albums will likely surpass this one in my mind once I’ve heard them, as other fans have said, but considered on its own merits “Fire” is a treasure trove of beautiful sounds and diverse, undeniable grooves sourced from a variety of genres and influences. His passion for the musical style and culture is palpable. I’m excited to hear what else this man has done. 4 stars.