Tag: Review (Page 17 of 19)

Cadabra Records – Lovecraft’s Pickman’s Model Review

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On May 6, 2017

In Reviews

Artists:
Andrew Leman (Spoken Word)
Theologian (Soundscapes)
Alan Brown (Art)
Album: Pickman’s Model by H.P. Lovecraft
Release date: 11 November 2016
Label: Cadabra Records

Tracklist:
1A/1B. Pickman’s Model by H.P. Lovecraft

Cadabra Records is a relatively new label. Launching barely two years ago, they have quickly amassed a large following and an impeccable reputation. Coming from the mind of Jonathan Dennison, Cadabra Records is a spoken word label, with exclusively vinyl releases. Each release is packed with features, from commissioned paintings, to limited color vinyl variants, to subscriber only releases. In an age of digital media, Cadabra Records seeks to invoke a nostalgia in their followers which is all but lost.

The vinyl only release gives followers a way to have that special feeling of opening a physical product for the first time, looking over its artwork and extras, pulling the vinyl from its slipcover for the first time to witness the unique colored variant of their particular purchased edition. Placing this beautiful piece of art onto the turntable for the first time and giving it an inaugural spin. Each release has its own combination of graphic artist, story-teller and soundtrack composer.

The emergence of a vinyl revolution has been welcomed with open arms by most hardcore collectors of music. Yet, many of these releases come up short on their final product. Cadabra Records does not follow this trend. My first purchase from Cadabra Records was Pickman’s Model. I knew it was going to be a special addition to my collection, but I honestly wasn’t prepared for the quality of this release.

The gate-fold is of a heavy-duty ultra high quality cardboard, printed on all four sides with the beautiful artwork of Alan Brown. Each panel conveys a different imagining of the creatures Lovecraft describes in this story. The full-size booklet included is packed with even more of these original compositions. In these images, we have ample opportunity to let the creatures unfold in our own minds as Pickman’s paintings are described throughout the story.

Andrew Leman of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society delivers the narrative of Pickman’s Model. I am not one to often enjoy audio-books. My mind often wanders, either to the background music, or to something else entirely. There is no monotony in Leman’s voice. He performs his art with an emotional charge rivaled by few others. In the beginning, he speaks in a whimsical and stately tone, with a sense of amusement and lightheartedness. Yet, as the story begins to unfold, Leman’s voice becomes increasingly shaky. As the narration begins to descend into those cursed subterranean chambers of Pickman’s macabre art studio, Leman’s voice becomes increasingly emotional. At some points we are greeted with gentle whispers and at others a crescendo of alarm and fear brings him to a rapid execution of his duties. The constantly changing dynamics of his vocal execution keep the attention of the listener firmly grasped.

Lovecraft’s work is often evoked through dark ambient artists. There are numerous attempts, some more successful than others, in bringing the magic of his writings to life through their own musical interpretations. Theologian, the main musical project of Lee Bartow whom also owns Annihilvs Power Electronix, takes the helm as musical interpreter of this release. I have not yet heard his other contributions to Cadabra Records releases, but by all accounts Pickman’s Model is his best to date.

The music starts out in a more theatrical template. The sounds of the conversations’ setting provide an animated backdrop to the beginning of the story. But as the plot thickens, so too do the sounds of Theologian. We move from the setting of the conversation, some midtown establishment, where the narrator and his listener sip some booze and coffee, to the depths of Pickman’s ancient Bostonian dwelling without even noticing the change.

The greatest accomplishment on the part of Theologian is in his ability to at once keep the listener enraptured in the atmosphere while simultaneously having enough subtlety to not distract from the experience provided by Andrew Leman. Listening to the full performance a handful of times over a few short days was by no means a labor. Each listen allowed for the focus to either fixate on the narrative, analyze the musical composition of Theologian, or to allow the full breadth of the release to unfold with no particular focus. No matter the mindset or time of day going into the release, I was met with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction in listening to this story.

If this release of Pickman’s Model is any indication of the rest of the Cadabra Records discography, they have an illustrious future ahead of them. With previous releases like Lovecraft’s The Lurking Fear, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, they have already paved the path to attracting a wide range of followers from the fan-base of these historical literary geniuses. The future of Cadabra Records does seem bright… in the darkest of senses.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Valanx – Radiant Orbs of Abzu – Review

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On May 5, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Valanx
Album title: Radiant Orbs of Abzu
Release date: 10 April 2017
Label: Cromlech Records

Tracklist:
01. Radiant Orbs of Abzu I
02. Radiant Orbs of Abzu II

Arne Weinberg is becoming an ever-more frequent name in the world of dark ambient. Last fall we witnessed two major releases from his two musical projects. Valanx gave us Ouroboros on Reverse Alignment, a well renowned label in dark ambient circles. The second offering was Arc, by Solemn Embrace. Arc took us into more experimental territory with its entirety being created through an analog device, the Eurorack modular synth system.

Arc also happened to be the first release on Cromlech Records, Weinberg’s new record label. Cromlech gives us a focus on drone, dark ambient and experimental electronics. While Arc was released as a beautifully designed digi-wallet, the next two releases, An Homage to Luciano Berio by Limited Liability Sounds and the current album in question Radiant Orbs of Abzu by Valanx, would both be released on cassette.

After that bit of history, we are brought to this present release, Radiant Orbs of Abzu. Being Weinberg’s main musical project, Valanx was sure to pick up a bit more attention than the previous two releases. This concept makes sense for a new label to get a slow start and then release something that will draw in greater attention, and give fans a chance to look through and hopefully purchase the back-catalog of releases.

Any listener already familiar with the work of Arne Weinberg on either of his musical projects will have a good idea of what to expect here. His main focus being analog synth, the sounds always take on that experimental vibe. Rarely, if ever, do we here field recordings or live instrumentation. Albums like this can make or break an artist. While, in general, I lean more toward the break side on many analog synth releases, Arne Weinberg manages to keep his albums entertaining, dark and often tinged with a bit of emotion.

Abzu is the Sumerian god of fresh water or the primeval sea itself, depending on the culture in question. With that in mind, its immediately recognizable that Valanx has opted to add in a noticeable layer of aquatic soundscapes. The album starts off with, and indeed keeps using throughout its entirety, a sound which immediately reminds of the sonar beeps in a submarine. They have just enough added effect to make them sound more like they are coming from the water itself, than being transmitted through some machinery.

This first track progresses at a glacial pace. There are changes over time, but they are slight and often the sounds begin to take on a meditative quality. The second track becomes much more active. It carries over many of the elements from the opening track. But, these elements are more often manipulated into contortions of their original forms. There is a great deal of other elements added into this second half. The album really begins to come alive.

Looking at the story itself, we seem to be witnessing a sleeping god on side A. As if we are moving through the depths of the sea, searching for something, which we aren’t even sure is present but we have faith that we may discover. As we move into side B, the god seems to really come to life. It slowly awakens, as we watch helplessly, in a combination of equal parts awe and terror. By halfway through this second track, Abzu has fully awakened. The god is now making itself known to the world of sea creatures, as well as the humans, which were unfortunate enough to have brought this entity back to consciousness.

From a physical standpoint, while I don’t have a copy of the tape, it appears from the images to be a well crafted j-card with an ultra-minimal approach to the tape itself. A solid gray cassette marked only as side A or B and numbered in its limited edition of 50. This trend of tape releases seems to work out quite well for artists, it’s a cheaper route for manufacturing and fans seem to really enjoy the nostalgia of returning to the musical format of cassettes. A win / win. Some releases even have a bit of character added to their sound by way of the gentle tape hiss in the background.

In all, Radiant Orbs of Abzu is my favorite release yet by Arne Weinberg, as well as his nascent Cromlech Records. The release is highly entertaining. It has enough detail to allow the listener to continually find new elements on multiple replays. The tape edition is the perfect fit for a release of two 20 minute tracks. I would recommend this as the first place to delve into the discography of Cromlech Records, as well as Weinberg’s music as a whole. Fans of the analog side of dark ambient will find much to love here. Even those who feel a bit pessimistic about fully analog dark ambient are likely to find aspects to love about this release, and to find it a pleasant experience. Cromlech Records seems to be off to a great start, and there will surely be more well produced releases to come in the near future.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Kryptogen Rundfunk – Liquid Circuits – Review

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On May 3, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Kryptogen Rundfunk
Album title: Liquid Circuits
Release date: 7 October 2016
Label: Zhelezobeton

This is the first review on This Is Darkness by Przemyslaw Murzyn known for his respected and well-revered zine, Santa Sangre!

I stumbled upon this very cool sounding name quite often, on the occasion of various splits, collaborations, compilations or live show announcements on social media. So I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when I realized that Liquid Circuits is only the second album by this project run by Zhelezobeton label manager. Second album in 12 years – who would’ve thought?

So I guess we should expect something epic – a creme de la creme of all Artyom’s ideas that had been born in his mind during all those years. I’m guessing it might be the essence of his creativity, as the album is quite huge in all possible aspects: its duration, production, atmosphere and the abundance of used sounds and effects. At the same time, it is representative of the Russian industrial scene and their cherishing of analogue synths and the meaty, natural form of the sounds instead of purely digital output. Check the booklet and the technical specification of Liquid Circuits to see in detail what kind of equipment Artyom has used.

Kryptogen Rundfunk music is hard to classify because several musical fascinations are playing an equal role here. It is experimental, because even for a not very experienced listener it seems obvious that the artist is often improvising and checking the possibilities of the equipment and the sound forms it is able to create. It is industrial perhaps even “dark” industrial thanks to the machinesque and soulless feeling. The rhythmic pulsations, hums, diverse noises, radio waves make you feel like you’re inside a giant electric device or installation full of – not necessarily liquid – circuits, coils and resistors. Its purpose is still to be determined, but it doesn’t include a human factor in any aspect.

More in the background you’ll notice a few dark ambient inclinations as sometimes the sounds take a more drone-like shape, like for example in the third track, “Pyramidoid”. The drones and textures are also filling the holes in the composition structures, they’re like concrete which bonds the whole thing into one monolithic construction. And on top of that a pinch of noise, not very aggressive, just underlining the cold and mechanical character of the album, having no ideology, no message to the people, which in this case is so unnecessary. Unless you consider the immersion with the music literally and feel that your soul is merging with the integrated circuits making one half-organic, half-artificial entity. After all, who knows if it isn’t the future of humanity. Something of which we should all be afraid.

So is it a unique album? By all means no, we were drowning in these atmospheres a lot of times in the past. But at the same time, Liquid Circuits gives a whole lot of listening pleasure as it is a well prepared dish for all the connoisseurs of honest, quite old-school industry devoid of useless flashiness.

Written by: Przemyslaw Murzyn

bvdub – Epilogues for the End of the Sky – Review

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On May 3, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: bvdub
Album title: Epilogues for the End of the Sky
Release date: 28 April 2017
Label: Glacial Movements

Tracklist:
01. On Deaf Hearts Your Prayers They Fall
02. With Broken Wings and Giants Tall
03. Sparkling Legions Turn to Black
04. Your Painted Armor Aches to Crack
05. Clouds Besiege What You Remain
06. Footsteps Fade If Not Your Pain
07. Love is Never Asking Why
08. It All Ends with the Coming Sky

bvdub is Brock Van Wey of San Francisco. Epilogues for the End of the Sky is my first encounter with him, though it seems that he has been creating music through one name or another since the late ’80s. So it is no surprise that when I heard this album the first time it seemed so nuanced and masterfully crafted. Since that first listen, I can barely go a day without hearing it.

bvdub fits somewhere between the space of dark melancholic ambient and deep house music. There are no beats or percussion to speak of, but the format and general aesthetics of the album certainly lead in the direction of some deep house or trance music. The most recognizable element that gives it this tag is the sparing use of vocal sections throughout the album. They will gently creep in and out of the mix, as if part of a DJ’s set. One some tracks like the opener, “On Deaf Hearts Your Prayers They Fall” the vocals are quite subtle, yet others will bring them much closer to the surface.

The piano is used in just such a sparing yet emotive manner as the vocals. Some tracks will barely allow it to surface in the background, while others bring it directly to the forefront, guiding the direction of the track. “Sparkling Legions Turn To Black”, my favorite track on the album, brings these two elements together perfectly. There is a spacey feeling, a sense of some late night deep house set on a beach. But this is only what it suggests, the music itself is deeply melancholic. It seems more a memory of a distant summer in the past, in a time during one’s youth that will never return.

This track, “Sparkling Legions Turn To Black” showcases a lot of the best elements of Epilogues for the End of the Sky. There are sweeping drone elements, deeply relaxing, yet always seeming to have a darker element present. The track starts out with this light droning, before an acoustic guitar enters the mix. Later as these two elements come to an apex the vocal section is presented. This really brings that feeling of a distant memory to the surface. These vocals are barely recognizable at first, but they will boil to the surface bringing an emotional charge along with them. By the eight minute mark, the track drops to almost a silence before the synthesizer elements and vocals take to the forefront. The rest of the eleven-plus minute track is much more direct, and comes the closest to deep-house that we will hear on the album.

All of these elements give a suggestion of something from the electronic dance music scene, but they never arrive at that destination. Which is exactly why the album fits so well on Glacial Movements. The music moves along at that glacial pace, often leading toward a climax which never arrives. This increases those melancholic elements. It gives the album a truly sad feel. Add to this the occasional input of field recordings and we are left with an album that is not the usual sort of dark ambient at all, but it pulls at the emotions of the listener in many of the same ways. When presented with something that is ambient and deep-house with no tempo, but the entirety is vastly melancholic, this seems the perfect recipe for attracting the attentions of dark ambient listeners.

You may need to already have an appreciation for house or trance or some other techno scene to enjoy this album. I’ve always loved those genres, so it seems natural that this depressive take on those styles would feel so perfect for me. Listeners who enjoy taking a step outside the usual formula will find a lot to love here. But if you were never too interested in these mentioned genres or if you prefer your dark ambient to remain orthodox, then this will not be the album for you. But for those of us who do enjoy this stretch, there is a lot here to fall in love with. Epilogues for the End of the Sky feels like a bit of a risk for Glacial Movements, as it moves a little further outside their usual format than one might expect. But the album is truly worthy of attention, and the years of experience behind its creator is obvious from beginning to end.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Dronny Darko – Abduction – Review

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On May 2, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Dronny Darko
Album title: Abduction
Release date: 2 May 2017
Label: Cryo Chamber

Tracklist:
01. Abduction
02. Arctic Pollen
03. Intermission 1 – Crystalline Tunnels
04. Vapor Swamps
05. Lactose Chamber
06. Intermission 2 – Curtain of Patterns
07. Veils of Static
08. Electrode Salts

Kiev’s Dronny Darko is becoming known more and more for his versatility. Getting his first great recognition on his Cryo Chamber debut, Outer Tehom, Dronny Darko showcased his abilities in the field of horror-infused cinematic dark ambient. His follow-up Neuroplasticity went in a totally different direction. He presented his abilities there in the format of lowercase ambient with a sci-fi flavor. Spira Igneus was an amalgamation of the two styles, showing a horror-themed lowercase sound. Now, with Abduction, we return to the sound structures of Neuroplasticity.

Immediately with Abduction, one will realize the total lack of structure. Some tracks, like “Vapor Swamps” present a little of something that could be considered drone. But more frequently, on tracks like the opener “Abduction” we hear sounds which appear to be 100% field recording based. There seems to be no synth, no drone-work, just a plethora of futuristic and otherworldly sounds. This makes for an album which begs to be played through a good set of headphones.

The sound design on Abduction is first class. The bass is deep and rumbling, while the highs are crystal clear. In between the space of these many varied sounds or noises is dead silence or the gentle white noise of something like a distant engine. The heavy use of field recordings, which all appear to be manipulated in the lowercase style give listeners so much data to analyze that numerous playthroughs should provide an extensive amount of entertainment for even the most avid of dark ambient listeners.

Dronny Darko seems to have taken the formula for Neuroplasticity and elaborated and perfected it in every way imaginable. My main issue with Neuroplasticity was not in the sound design itself, which appeared to be spectacularly nuanced. The issue was in the seeming lack of a greater story developing. There were interesting concepts which seemed a bit disjointed. That’s not to say that he didn’t have an over-arching plan. It was just hard for me as a listener to bring it all together.

The abduction theme presented here leaves plenty of room for the individual listeners’ imaginations to run wild. The structure is clearly presented but loosely described. We know for certain that there was something to the effect of an alien ship likely abducting a human. Beyond that we are left to imagine the story taking shape however we please. I, personally, get the feeling that this entire album takes place on the spaceship. All these lowercase sounds come together to form a brilliant representation of a machine running on an energy and engine which are far beyond the understanding of humanity.

With all these strange and alien noises, its really hard to imagine the process of gathering these field recordings for manipulation. While many dark ambient artists incorporate elemental field recordings: rain, wind, crackling fire, creaking doors, footsteps, Dronny Darko presents us with sounds that seem almost entirely foreign. I honestly couldn’t place the source of hardly anything he’s used here. This serves to increase the imaginative powers of Abduction all the more.

This second album in Dronny Darko‘s more futuristic sound (second on Cryo Chamber at least) hits the mark on every level. The theme is brilliantly executed. The technical aspects of the sound design are mind boggling. The replay value, given these two elements, is extremely high. This is likely the most accomplished album to date from Dronny Darko, taking dark ambient to such experimental heights that it seems to be in a galaxy of its own. Fans of a more traditional dark ambient style may be scratching their heads in confusion at this release. But anyone with a colorful imagination and a willingness to step outside the ordinary will find a delightful listen. Dronny Darko continues to prove innovative with each release, and this one has taken him leagues further than its predecessors.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Vacuum Aeterna – Project:Darkscapes – Review

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On April 29, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Vacuum Aeterna
Album title: Project:Darkscapes
Release date: 12 May 2017
Label: Cyclic Law

Tracklist:
01. Kurtz
02. Eulogy
03. Anatomy of a Spirit
04. Liminal Rits
05. Nibela Equinox
06. Control Metamorphose
07. Parasites Fall
08. Neglect
09. Enenra

Cyclic Law has released a lot of albums recently from well known artists in the post-industrial realm. They are the solid in a sea of fluidity. Fans are likely to know what to expect and without a doubt will find a positive confirmation in their latest release. Vacuum Aeterna is one of the new names to enter the dark ambient scene. Coming from a label like Cyclic Law, there is plenty of reason for fans to pay full attention to this debut.

What listeners will find on Project:Darkscapes is a breath of fresh air. There are certainly the usual dark ambient tropes involved. But the album uses the formula in their own unique way, coming up with something that will be hard to compare to other seemingly similar releases.

The opening track “Kurtz” sets the scene. We are given equal doses of industrial and ambient here. What starts out feeling like it is taking place in a primal setting, deep in a wooded wilderness, soon comes to life, not through some animals or humanity, but through the machinations of a futuristic, highly industrialized world. Yet, as the album progresses, the line between the primal and the mechanical becomes increasingly blurred. It seems that each track shows a different way of confronting this dilemma, a dilemma that speaks volumes about the state of our planet. Standing at a crossroads in time, where we will either fall backward into the life of previous countless generations or storm forward inevitably destroying the remains of the planet in the process, we certainly have a decision to make. Vacuum Aeterna seems to use this premise to make us think hard about where we stand in time.

From a technical standpoint Project:Darkscapes definitely paves its own path. While there could be similarities drawn between this album and something like Paleowolf or Ulf Söderberg, there are some distinct differences making it stand out. The tribal elements are overwhelmingly present. But the feel never moves into a primal ancient era. We somehow continue to feel the futuristic elements presented. The beating of the drums feels simultaneously futuristic and primitive. The drones and field recordings setting the foundation move from an ambient forest to the depths of some highly mechanized facility. The combination of the two seems counter-intuitive, but it somehow comes together smoothly.

The instrumentation used on Project:Darkscapes is uniquely interesting and nuanced. For example, on “Anatomy of a Spirit” there are deep whirling drones providing the foundation. A thumping bass sounds like the beating of a heart. Field recordings and possibly even some vocals can be heard dispersed masterfully throughout the mix. All the while a distorted guitar fades in and out, going from disjointed noises to outright solos. By the close of the track we are left with nothing but a staticy noise that slowly fades out. “Liminal Rites” brings those tribal drums back to the spotlight, though they can barely be considered primal, at times moving much closer to something that would feel natural on an industrial metal album, if only for fleeting seconds. There is always a dichotomy to be faced. One can never settle on a certain style or direction in which the music moves.

While Project:Darkscapes can certainly become quite active at times, it never takes on a disruptively bold persona. If one intends to use it as background music to study, read, or whatever else, it will certainly work, with only a few distractions. Conversely, it has so many interesting takes on the dark ambient genre, so many unique uses of the instrumentation and such a vast catalog of field recording sounds that there is more than enough to keep the focused listener entertained for multiple playthroughs. Each time I hear the album there are several new elements that present themselves, new ideas that take shape.

Vacuum Aeterna has created an album in Project:Darkscapes which is uniquely relevant to our times. It asks the hard questions of humanity and refuses to allow the listener to ignore the warning signs. I could absolutely recommend this to fans of the more primal forms of dark ambient, while there is also much here to entertain fans that prefer a more industrial infused sound. It will be interesting to see where they take their sound next, if they will continue delving into these topics and this format, or if they will veer off into a totally different direction. The level of skill seems to be there to make either a worthy endeavor.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Paranoia Inducta – From The Depths – Review

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On April 26, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Paranoia Inducta
Album: From The Depths
Release date: 12 March 2017
Label: Rage In Eden

Tracklist:
01. Desolation Zone
02. Today We Will All Die
03. Whispers And Cogs
04. And Soon The Darkness
05. From The Depths
06. The Noonday Demon
07. Sanctuary Of Madness
08. Witchtrap
09. I’m Just Pain
10. Children Of Saturn
11. My Own Purgatory
12. Shadow People
13. Near-Death Experience
14. Locked-in Syndrome

Paranoia Inducta is a vastly diverse musical project, helmed by Anthony Armageddon Destroyer. While there have been guest musicians on his albums, Paranoia Inducta is mainly a one man project. Entering the dark / industrial / noise ambient scene back in 2004 with his debut Sanctified Destruction, Paranoia Inducta has shown a diversity from its very inception.

Listening back through the discography of Paranoia Inducta, one may find examples of many different musical genres. Everything from sacral choir music to ungodly guitar riffs paint a picture of a world on the brink of destruction. Paranoia Inducta call their style apocalyptic death industrial and for the most part this is a fitting tag.

Yet, the sounds of Paranoia Inducta go much further than would be expected from apocalyptic death industrial. There has always been a variety of styles in the project, but nowhere more than this present release of From The Depths. We can hear a beautiful if somber piano arrangement on “Today We Will All Die”. The track is truly enchanting, and yet all the while there are metallic echoes and dripping waters as if there is a grand piano slowly rotting away in the bowels of some old-world sewer system.

From The Depths stands as the finale to the trilogy of releases which began with Evil Angel in 2010, followed by Maze of Death in 2013, and closing with From The Depths in 2017. In their own words, “This is the story about loss, loneliness, despair and lack of hope.” This is surely an apt description of the themes presented on all three albums. The sense of loss and despair can only be felt after losing something worth holding onto. In this way we hear these beautiful section of music throughout the album serving as a reminder of a past which held the key to happiness. A past which will never return. A chapter closed. The present chapter holds no serenity. There is now only a deep sense of regret and resignation. Paranoia Inducta warns listeners of the album’s ability to induce a deep state of depression. Indeed, From The Depths writhes in depression. It showcases the disaster of the present, markedly diverging from the contentment of the past.

While the album seems to reflect inner turmoils, personal struggles, there is also a strong sense of religiosity. From the throat singing of “And Soon The Darkness” to the lovely female choral vocals of “From The Depths” we can sense that there is more to the story than just an interpersonal relationship souring. There seems to be an abandonment of faith added to the depression. As if God was invoked to bring about a happier scenario, yet the prayers fell on deaf ears. The reverent follower loses faith, falls from grace. This leaves them open to the darker strains of religion, the unholy rites of demonic resurrections. If God will not help, maybe his arch-nemesis will…

Paranoia Inducta covers much ground with From The Depths. It tells the closing of a story which clearly doesn’t have a happy ending. The technical talents of the artist are at an all time high on From The Depths. Each track feels unique, yet fits perfectly into the whole. Add to this successful combination of sounds the beautiful artwork and A5 digipak of the physical edition, and we are left with a powerful all-encompassing work of art. Paranoia Inducta has proven with From The Depths that they still have plenty of energy and potential for this almost 15 year old project. In fact, some of the best work may still be yet to come. Where the next chapter in the story of Paranoia Inducta will take us, we must wait to discover.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Phonothek – Red Moon – Review

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On April 23, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Phonothek
Album: Red Moon
Release date: 4 April 2017
Label: Cryo Chamber

Tracklist:
01. Yellow Forest (feat. Keosz)
02. Last Melody (feat. Cities Last Broadcast)
03. Come In The Whisper
04. Cryo From The Abyss
05. Margo
06. In The Smell Of The Wolves
07. Mudra
08. Red Moon

Phonothek is a dark ambient act from the country of Georgia. Their first release, Lost In Fog, debuted last year on Cryo Chamber. Lost In Fog quickly caught the attention of fans and critics alike with their use of a noir jazz infused form of dark ambient. This year they release their follow-up Red Moon, which takes this style even further. Honing their sounds, Phonothek are proving to be one of the most interesting acts on Cryo Chamber. Which is no small feat considering the amount of talent backed by this young but well established record label.

On Lost In Fog we heard fleeting moments of this noir jazz infused dark ambient style. Tracks like “Old Swings” began to tap into this energy, yet “Heavy Thoughts” was the most blatant use of the format. My thoughts at the time, regarding Lost In Fog, were that Phonothek had a solid start, but would be able to distinguish themselves from the rest of the genre even more so if they directed more focus toward the use of their horns, trumpets, and trombones. Some tracks on Lost In Fog were not wholly impressive to me, while others seemed to shine a brilliance over the entire album, more than making up for a few weak points.

Red Moon certainly remedies any previous misgivings. Phonothek have chosen their path, and are now following it unapologetically. Throughout the entire album we hear these jazzy instruments taking on a life of their own. The use of viola, trombone, trumpet, horn and bariton all come together throughout Red Moon to lend an air of authenticity and real world appeal to the project. One may imagine themselves walking through the filthy alleys of New Orleans, late at night, as a thick fog hovers over the streets and the scent of refuse and the homeless sicken the senses. The darkness is perfectly blended with the noir jazz style, breathing life into Red Moon. It effortlessly pulls the listener along for a journey which won’t be soon forgotten. Of course, Phonothek may have never seen the streets of New Orleans, and certainly there are many other and older cities across the lands of Europe and Russia which would equally fit these sounds.

As if the honing of their style weren’t enough, Phonothek brought Keosz and Cities Last Broadcast along for the journey on Red Moon. The opening track “Yellow Forest” introduces us to this hazy smog ridden environment. Who better to add atmospherics to this dark urban style than Keosz, an artist who engages with the midnight city streets like few others in the genre. It is also fitting that Keosz is featured on this track, as his album, AVA, released soon after Red Moon. As mentioned in the review of AVA, Keosz and Phonothek have both stepped up their performances on these latest releases, delivering two quite memorable albums, and highlights of their careers thus far.

On “Last Melody” Phonothek made another brilliant move by adding the skills of Pär Boström’s often apocalyptic urban soundscapes that are Cities Last Broadcast. Cities Last Broadcast adds some of its more eerie and occult leaning work to “Last Melody”. We hear Boström’s falsetto voice barely cutting through the mix at one point, adding an otherworldly feeling to the track. After these two highly original and perfectly executed collaborative tracks, the rest of the album is able to commence at a running start.

As we proceed through the rest of Red Moon, we hear a style and theme that is consistent from beginning to end. Each track adds another layer to their noir-jazz midnight urban stroll. The city streets come to life at every turn. Yet, the instruments and field recordings incorporated throughout also exude an aura of occult mysteries. There is more to this story than just the envisioning of a cityscape in the nighttime hours. There is a darkness with a sense of the supernatural complementing the urban nightscapes. This part of the story is best left to the individual listeners’ imagination. Surely each person will find their own answers in the song titles and field recording cues throughout the album.

Red Moon takes all the best elements of Lost In Fog and doubles down on them. They leave behind the aspects that didn’t seem to fit their style as well. For many artists of all genres, the sophomore release is always the best indication of their longevity. Will they hone their skills further, tapping into a wealth of ideas and talents, or will they stall, grasping for new ideas where there is little left to be found? Phonothek clearly fit the latter, and they seem to be set on a path of excellence which won’t fade anytime soon.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Mebitek – Art Has No Diplomacy – Review

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On April 22, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Mebitek
Album: Art Has No Diplomacy
Release date: 9 March 2017
Label: Mebitek / Nootempo.net

Tracklist:
01. Machina
02. Desolation
03. Cinekinetik
04. Chi No Torrat
05. Iscuritat
06. The Cinematic Experience
07. Pray (feat. Larissa & Gangalistics)
08. MebiStep
09. March of Borderliners (feat. 10jonct)
10. All My Love (feat Daniele Porta)
11. Stepper in the Dark (feat. Quilo Sa Razza)
12. What I Have Lost
13. Cudda Domu RMX (feat. Pandro)

Mebitek is a budding electronic artists hailing from Sardinia an island off the coast of Italy in the great Mediterranean Sea. Long known for their innovations, Italy has over the years spawned more than a few unique sound technician. The likes of Bad Sector, Winterblood and Sonologyst are but a few familiar to the dark ambient genre, all pushing their musical endeavors to the very limit of genre classifications. Mebitek is no different in this manner. His music is certainly dark and electronic, but going much further than that into applying labels will be pointless.

After almost a decade of singles and EPs, Mebitek has finally delivered a proper full length album. On this debut Mebitek stays true to his form, in creating music that transcends genre boundaries and provides the listener with a wholly new experience. Each of the 13 tracks is well produced and honed down to the finest of details. It may have taken Mebitek a while to bring a full-length album together, but Art Has No Diplomacy is a worthy milestone.

In order to provide some context to these sounds, there are a few artists who could be loosely compared to Mebitek, The Haxan Cloak comes to mind, along with the afore mentioned Bad Sector. There are beats laying the ground work of this album. These beats take on the forms of glitch and dubstep among other forms of electronic music which go beyond the standards of traditional electronica. “Chi No Torrat” is a great example of this amalgamation of genres. “Chi No Torrat” starts off with futuristic and industrial samples along with even a bit of ambient elements, in the form of a distant thunderstorm. It slowly progresses into a melancholic and introspective downtempo ebm piece in which comparisons to The Haxan Cloak fit most closely. Yet, by the second half of the track, the use of orchestral sounds gives the track a unique feel, again going well beyond any specific genre classifications.

Mebitek brings along with him on this album a few other Italian artists of various forms. Larissa provides a beautiful voice on the track “Pray”. While Quilo Sa Razza applies a hip-hop verse over “Stepper in the Dark”. Each of these and several other guest artist always provide a brand new element to the sounds of Art Has No Diplomacy.

Futuristic and post-apocalyptic tropes abound throughout the works of Mebitek. At the very base of his project, we see in his logo a face equipped with a gas-mask. The high-quality music video for the track “MebiStep”, created by Mebitek and Serena Pilloni, provides the greatest visual cue to this post-apocalyptica. A gas-masked figure drags a few leather gimp suit laden victims through the streets of some old city. We then follow him into a dungeon where he turns a ragged doll into his living queen of darkness.

In such a simultaneously advanced yet bleak period of human history, Mebitek is an artist that fully embraces the contradiction. Art Has No Diplomacy is certainly not your average dark ambient album, often leaving that genre classification entirely. Yet, thematically and cinematically the sounds should be welcome to the ears of many dark ambient fans. Mebitek provides us with an original take on the fringe elements of ambient and electronic genres, paving his own path. Art Has No Diplomacy could easily be recommended to fans of the afore mentioned artists The Haxan Cloak and Bad Sector along with other heavily beat-oriented sound-sculptors Access To Arasaka. But, while these projects could be an example for fans to compare some similarities in style, Mebitek clearly is not following in the footsteps of these musicians, rather he is making his own way, in his own style. Enjoy Art Has No Diplomacy in those moments of despair or cynicism when the mind needs something more than gentle field recordings and drones. Let yourself fall under the spell of Mebitek, a truly interesting artist to say the very least.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Black Wanderer – Hostile Territory – Review

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On April 20, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Black Wanderer
Album: Hostile Territory
Release date: 1 May 2017
Label: Ksenza Records

Tracklist:
01. What Appears To Be Normal
02. Station4
03. Hide Inside An Imitation
04. Our Superior In Every Way
05. Nothing Can Stop Us
06. Freedom To Act Irresponsibly
07. Such Power Exists
08. Планета Бурь

Black Wanderer is the newest musical venture by Daniil Kazantsev of Algol and Stuzha. Each of his three projects deliver a totally different form of music, all fitting within an ambient framework but each having its own template of execution. Algol is a space ambient experience, with a style similar to that of Sphare Sechs. Stuzha is a chilly dark ambient sound drawing comparisons to the likes of Ugasanie and Northaunt. Black Wanderer is a dark cinematic ambient project which includes many samples from films to build a set of narratives upon a guitar/bass heavy form of dark ambient.

The basics of Black Wanderer are quite stripped down. There is little in the way of field recordings or synth-crafted drones. The bass guitar provides a basis for the project. The electric guitar adds a brighter set of textures. While these two instruments provide the droning elements there is a heavy usage of film samples. The instruments are not used in a technically complicated manner. They often deliver sustained single notes. The bass guitar builds a thick and atmospheric foundation for many of the tracks. Meanwhile, the electric guitar often picks higher pitched single notes, giving the necessary emotional charge to the mix.

Hostile Territory focuses on several films in particular to provide the narrative. The Thing is heavily sampled on the Black Wanderer album, a film which by most accounts is a classic in the horror/sci-fi genre. Focusing on a maleficent life form which crash lands deep in Antarctica, The Thing spreads from person to person, fully mimicking its hosts. On “What Appears To Be Normal” Black Wanderer uses a clip in which the doctor first realizes that the thing is capable of mimicking humanity. The track is complemented with some sort of horn to add a bit of character to the narrative.

Again on “Hide Inside and Imitation”, we hear another clip from The Thing. Kurt Russell is sitting in his bedchamber, taking notes about their current circumstances on an audio recorder. “…nobody trusts anybody, and we’re all very tired.” is recorded, just before being erased. The quote adds a deep sense of tension to the track. The gently shifting drone-work is again complemented by a lonely guitar, using single notes to add suspense to the atmospherics.

On “Freedom to Act Irresponsibly”, Black Wanderer uses sound clips from the film The Day The Earth Stood Still. Documenting a conversation between an American official and an alien life form, Black Wanderer produces a chilling effect on the listener. The conversation plays with the idea that mankind would never be able to come together in unison to decide upon a coordinated response to the coming invasion. While its an interesting conversation, the general feelings that it invokes in the listener allow it to become a contemplative experience. The electric guitars and bass work in unison here create interesting textures which lend themselves to a thought provoking atmosphere. They give listeners ample room for mulling over their own interpretations of the sound clips. “Freedom to Act Irresponsibly” seems to be a bitter more doom-laden than the previous tracks. It suggests that mankind would never be able to work together, and that these alien lifeforms would most likely remove our human race from existence.

The use of so many audio clips from films makes Hostile Territory a more demanding listen than we are used to from Algol or Stuzha. As a stand-alone album, it becomes a more thought provoking experience. Especially for fans of these old films, there will be a lot of nostalgic value. For listeners that are not familiar with these classics, there is sure to be a good deal of interest taken in the subject matter.

For fans not interested in active listening, preferring a passive ambient sound to complement their reading, studying or gaming, there will be a bit less interest. The other projects Algol and Stuzha are more in line with this passivity and either is a perfect pairing to study. As Daniil Kazantsev already had two projects with this general focus, it makes sense that he wanted to move outside that template and make an album with different goals and procedures.

Hostile Territory is a welcome addition to an already impressive catalog from this artist. It provides us with a totally fresh set of ideas from its creator. There are likely many more directions that Black Wanderer can be taken in the future. The focus on these older alien-influenced sci-fi films doesn’t necessarily have to stay as the primary subject matter for Black Wanderer to keep its template and hold the attention of listeners. While technically it isn’t quite as innovative as the latest Stuzha album, it still holds a great deal of emotion and interesting content. With three musical projects, Black Wanderer being by far the newest, it seems reasonable that Kazantsev will continue to evolve as Black Wanderer and further hone his skills on this project.

Written by: Michael Barnett

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