Labels: Robotic Empire
Review by: Kunal Nandi
What we have here is a collection of ambient and noise soundscapes, which may or may not actually be a word, all committed to tape over a two-year period by Aaron Turner, the Hydrahead head-honcho and Isis-participant, along with an assortment of helper monkeys.
The Boston crowd are seriously into their noise stuff. Turner already plays in The Lotus Eaters. Two guys from Converge have their side-project dabbling in similar circles. 5ive’s Continuum Research Project released a 25-minute song that never got dull. Old Man Gloom toss out these things in-between their chunky nuggets of Sabbath scream-core. Cave In released an entire album of studio jams that flit into the atmospheric category. Neurosis (yes, I know they’re from S.F.) dig drum circles.
The first of the four “pieces” is ostensibly similar to the third, and they are both definitely menacing. The winds blow, phase-shifts from Venus flutter up and down and seemingly random glitches give the impression of insects about to attack. This could never be background music. It’s too insistent and tense. The second piece features some treated guitar and echoing vocals, and is beautifully evocative of fuck knows what. The final effort is my favourite, featuring the nearest semblance to a tune on the whole EP, as a chiming, charming guitar riff (that should’ve been played on a sitar I reckon) picks its way over some found sounds of a Raygun and some fucking bongos! Gorgeous.
As you would expect from the people involved, lovely artwork, sandwiched in two pieces of marbled purple vinyl and a thoroughly unique experience.