ALCHEMIST - WATER

ARTIST: Alchemist
TITLE: Water
ARTIST LINK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alchemist/202284619792608
ARTIST COUNTRY: Finland
CATALOG: SomSon005
LABEL: Sombre Soninks
LABEL LINK: http://sombresoniks.bandcamp.com/
GENRE: Dark Ambient

TRACKLIST:
01_ Essence kaiken elämän (Essence of All Life)
02_ Kallioilta merinäköala (From the Cliffs Overlooking the Sea)
03_ Essence kaiken elämän (Essence of All Life) (P23 Remix)
04_ Essence kaiken elämän (Essence of All Life) (Demo)
05_ Kallioilta merinäköala (From the Cliffs Overlooking the Sea) (Demo)

I am blown away and at peace at the same time. Now, this sort of compound feeling only comes to me from two things: a good smack of THC, and/or a blissfully transcendent album. Joining these specific two can make you believe, or at least remind you of how sweet life can be at times. Here, we have another fine release that goes beyond the genre that folks wrap around it. "Water" by our friendly and talent-enhanced Al Kemisti is simply my favorite Dark Ambient EP of the year. Or at least, here in the Kingdom.

In essence [pun intended] this work is only two tracks, but because the songs are so simple, yet also spacious enough and well composed enough to lend themselves to the hand of a friend or two to give them additional character, they become a 5 track cosmic floatation device. The original pair becomes a dreamy, calming, enthralling voyage into yourself, and chances are the spaces you will float into will have the scent of pure nostalgia, a taste of love in an expansive sense, and hopefully, visions of a much better existence.

A tittle such as "Essence of All Life" is not one to be used or taken lightly. Within "Water", you get not one, but three plains manifested in the spirit of this phrase. There is a very grand but intensely personal feel to every single version of these tracks, the mesh of organ and everyone's very selective and wise choice of synth textures is what gives this piece the fluidity that marks its name. This is crucial for an Ambient work if it is to be considered a triumph. Each version laps at you so serenely, so magically in its wave-state...

I think poetic is a great way to describe "Water". It is sorrowful without being depressing, it is bright without glare, and it just might take your heart out from beneath you, only to put it back inside, having grown just a little bit more in its grasp.

Very much a treasure. One I will hold close from now on.

DOWNLOAD LINK:

http://sombresoniks.bandcamp.com/album/water

ARTIST STATEMENT:
"Alchemist lies deep within the mind of Al Kemisti, the sole member of Alchemist. The project endeavors to explore the darkness that lies just below the surface. This project, in it's completion, will cover the 4 elements here on Earth. Air, Water, Earth, and Fire...each a separate element, each a separate EP."

SCHATTENSPIEL - LICHTGESTALTEN

ARTIST: Schattenspiel
TITLE: Lichtgestalten
ARTIST LINK: http://www.facebook.com/Schattenspiel.Music
ARTIST COUNTRY: Germany
CATALOG: dmb012
LABEL: Dead Man's Beat
LABEL LINK: www.deadmastersbeat.de
GENRE: NeuClassical/Ambient/Industrial

TRACKLIST:
1_ Der Flug des Schmetterlings
2_ Thirst
3_ Totenwache [Over Concrete] feat. Rex The Ninth
4_ Eschatological Scenario
5_ Echo
6_ Morgendämmerung
7_ Falling Down 2010
8_ Many Are Called, Few Are Choosen
9_ Shadows
10_ Sun & Steel feat. Barbarossa Umtrunk
11_ Phenomenon
12_ Zerstörung feat. Arvorar
13_ Mi Nombre es La Muerte feat. Igniis
14_ Falling Down feat. Hermann Kopp

I would like to start this review with a back-handed compliment. I honestly did not foresee exactly how it was possible for Sven Phalanx to surpass the grandiosity of his last work. He did it, though. He achieved an even stronger album by going in the exact opposite direction that "Schattenkrieger" went. Now, this album has been in the works for a couple of years, and when I was approached by Sven back in 2oo9 to remix any song of his that I wished, I was unaware of the direction he wanted to go. I was under the impression that what turned out to be this sophisticated, mature effort, was just going to be Sven 'n Friends, a collection of possibilities stemming from the root of a Schattenspiel song. How wrong I was. Today, this error of assumption has turned into an unexpected joy. It is a rainy, calm day here in West Hollywood, and I only wish that as the waters wash along these filthy streets, they could help tell everyone how proud I am of everyone who was kind enough to dedicate their time and talent for the creation of "Lichtgestalten".

It has become obvious to you, my friends, that as I am of the darker persuasion, I favor things of a more somber color, and this album fits that niche perfectly, but what I favor more than darkness is progress, innovation, evolution. Sven has allowed Schattenspiel to evolve. This album has a wider range of sound, but it doesn't seek heights as aggressively as the second half of "Schattenkrieger", nor does it have the same tinges of sadness the first half did. There is still sorrow present, but more importantly, there is also perfect harmony in this album, and while the stories the individual tracks are as different as the people that helped forge them, there is a common realm that most of the songs share. There is something of an unwavering focus instilled here, so the place you begin at is finite, only you are then forced to confront the very personal nature of each track. This album feels just that way, personal, and while the expansiveness of his last album was one of its strengths, Sven has managed to astonish me by letting all his collaborators play on their ABSOLUTE strengths.

I can attest to this last statement with my own experience. I am very pleased with the fact that the electronics have seen a significant influx this time, and I can attribute the best of that to Christian Salva. What makes his input to this album especially meaningful for me is not only the utter clarity of his modern style, but his contributions outweigh [collectively] the fractal abstraction and rhythmic noise in my remix for the great little ambient track called "Totenwache". Why fractal? Because that is the perfect way of describing the spaced out overlapping I used to manipulate the nice little violin track Sven originated and turned it into something of a disjointed but harmonized orchestra among a swell of static. I feel that this track would sound out of place if Sven had not taken the liberty of blending his classical convictions with the noisier bout of electronic elements given to the majority of the songs. There are more different beat-sequences in this album. There is more sampling. There is a very healthy portion of some very sweet and heartfelt vocals done by the very sexy and sultry sirens known as Seetha and Shaita.

These girls give one of the most important things this album needed to be as strong as it is, which is the human element. Not only do these two have great voices, but they made sure to use them in the best way possible to fit each song. They took great care in the melodic delivery of each verse, each line, each word. I believe Seetha shines best in the outstanding re-working of "Falling Down". I was floored by this new version. So much so that I think it is very close to what would be considered a climax for this album, but as powerful of a rendition as it is, it still fits into the focused vision that is the entirety of the album. As for Shaita, her absolute moment of glory for me has to be "Echo". Everything that can be said about "Falling Down 2010" can be repeated for "Echo", and I particularly enjoy how both ladies impart a tenderness to all their work alongside their yearning, passion, emotion... They too have evolved. Their personalities come through and make "Lichtgestalten" as much theirs as it is Sven's.

I could not include the word balance here without mentioning the work put in that gives a more sinister tone to some of the tracks. This was taken care of by the pieces done with both Barbarossa Umtrunk and Igniis. These are part of the much needed male counterparts in the face of feminine sweetness and a serene flow of feeling to help make this piece more universally appealing, and indeed, more universal. I loved the clarity of Mr. Mateo's vocals on this one, the brightness of the guitar, the fact that while he stands in the same light as everyone else here, he confronts the outside world, giving social commentary, but linking it to the hurt most of the rest of the album sees.

I am stunned. I don't even want to pick apart the album further by naming favorites because this is a work that should be considered as a whole. Sven Phalanx has transcended a former version of himself. Those who have already felt very endeared to him will find themselves loving him now. This album is that exceptional.

This album is a triumph.

MARAX - FELO DE SE

ARTIST: Marax

TITLE: Felo De Se
ARTIST LINK: www.myspace.com/maraxnoise, soundcloud.com/maraxnoise
ARTIST COUNTRY: USA
CATALOG: MS20
LABEL: Muchausen Sound
GENRE: Noise/Dark Ambient

TRACKLIST:

1_ Felo De Se
2_ Anxiety-Guilt Cycle
3_ Hidden Need
4_ Soul Murder
5_ Tension Breaking

I am very excited to bring word of this new work by the great young man who goes by Eric Crowe, AKA, Marax. Mr. Crowe had been responsible for giving us one of the most compelling Noise releases of the past couple of years to hit the PostIndustrial underground, a little EP called "Black Veil of the Sanguinarian", which I had the privilege of reviewing for Heathen Harvest back in o8. I had felt a significant admiration for the work upon first listen, as it showed a sort of darkness that ran into some varied, yet also inspiring depths of expression. I had tried to make Eric a regular contact because of the effect "Black Veil" had on yours truly, but almost two years or so before myspace got all desperate and transformed into a highly unwelcome, very stifling jock/mix of facebook/last.fm formats, Eric was unfortunately NOT a regular. But with this release, which I can attest to have anticipated HIGHLY, we now see the young Crowe as a regular presence on facebook, and while facebook isn’t yet really set up to be the haven conducive to creativity and communication for musicians the way the fallen and corrupted myspace once was, I am happy that he's there.

"Felo De Se" is only in a couple of ways similar to "Black Veil of The Sanguinarian", Eric's style withstanding, but what sets this one aside is that this was originally intended to be a split/collaboration with Never Presence Forever. While his previous work showed desperation, tension, eeriness, and yes, even a sort of cynical sense of wonder [the beautiful and passionate epic "Nod"], this new tape brings only a seething, borderline maddening set of some of the dirtiest noise-drones I've heard to date. This is a different noise palette than before, and while I cannot say for sure just who threw in what into the fray, the best way I can describe this Felo is an extension of the track "Inside the Inner Voice" off of "Black Veil". Only this time, that scary ass voice has PLENTY more to say...

The frequencies on the work are decidedly deep, and while the noise element is not as pervasive or intense as was on tracks from "... the Sanguinarian", what will get under your skin here is the almost unbearable tension and atonal void this piece has to offer. The title track is the longest in question, and this one will make you want to pull your hair out because it’s seemingly a perpetual and disturbing presence inside your head. There is a good amount of vocal dirt in this track, nothing I can make out, but like "Inside the Inner Voice", this side has a down-pitched tinge, with a subtle distortion, possibly sped-up to make it sound even more uncomfortable. The whole of "Felo De Se" rumbles unceasingly, like a half-hour trembling of the Earth. "Anxiety-Guilt Cycle" only further pushes the theme of the album with its name, this one having some awesome, death-rattle-like phrases that come in and out. The same rattle is in the transitional "Hidden Need", giving ground then to the static-ridden "Soul Murder”, and finally, "Tension Breaking" by way of a slowly flanging end.

The Devil is really in the details in "Felo De Se". While not as elaborate, it has the same vibe as Tzii's "Vuole Morire", a very challenging one, comparable to some psychopath staring vacantly over a long, engulfing stretch of the American Southwest desert, so I suppose it is very appropriate that the tracks were laid down in a place called Southern Discomfort Studio. Conceptually, it has no bullshit and is flawless. Black and abysmal enough to induce anger, but also simple and ambient enough to actually channel anger.

The Crowe flies LOW for this one.

SELF-TITLED SPLIT by DANGEROUS TRAP + THE END OF SCIENCE

ARTISTS: Dangerous Trap/The End Of Science
TITLE: self-titled split
ARTIST LINKS:
DANGEROUS TRAP: www.metersandmilesrecordings.com
THE END OF SCIENCE: www.theendofscience.net
ARTIST COUNTRY: USA
GENRE: Post-Rock

TRACKLIST:
Dangerous Trap-
1_ I Do A Pretty Good Muppet Walk
2_ Oh, I've Been To Prague
The End Of Science-
3_ The Avid Hornet Has To Dive Before It Enters The Transparent Lair Of Leaning Flowers
4_ LIVE! Orange Sunshine

There were two things that happened to me a few days ago during all the New Year's hubbub that had never happened to me before. These two occurrences made me feel that there is still hope during my life in a Post-George Dubya piss stain that is the modern world. The first was getting my first ever hug from my best buddy after about 5 years of knowing each other. It might have had something to do with him jamming to Europe four days later, but nevertheless, it really meant a lot to me. The second thing came not too long afterward, and I bullshit you not when I say that it meant just as much to me.
For the first time, someone had reached out to me, a perfect stranger, about submitting material to be reviewed here. That stranger turns out to be Jarod Weldin. It wasn't just the thrill of being told by someone I didn't know that he enjoyed my writing. The material, a split tape of what has NEVER been covered here in TFK, a sort of very honest and pure Rock 'N Roll, happened to be one of the best So-Carolina and So-Cal-born pieces to ever hit my ears.
There are four tracks in this tape, which is to be released on January 18. The sound immediately took me back to my nineteenth birthday at the Home Depot Center here in Cali. It was on August 27, 2004 that I had the privilege to attend the Curiosa festival. The line-up for the main stage: The Rapture, Mogwai, Interpol, and The Cure, in that order. Like many others, for me, the later two were what I had come to see to celebrate with my pals. Little did my homeboys or I expect to have our minds blown away by what I now affectionately call The Mogsters. They were something of a revelation to me, my first real dose of a style of Rock that built huge, elaborate and very beautiful soundscapes. No vocals, just a bunch of guys with a bunch of Line6 amps making fucking magic.
Jarod fronts Dangerous Trap, the one-man band that provoked these tender memories for me. It was also very surprising and heart-warming to find out that the band who composed the other two driving and melodic entries on this new cassette was formed by a father 'n son duo, Greg & Alex of the Mauro clan. Not having a living dad meself, this presented to me a very endearing concept, being a witness to the high splendor that can be achieved when a man and his offspring join artistic forces.
Like few other split releases I've heard, this pairing is almost seamless. Both bands in question are just as great as each other, the styles just as harmonic, soul-touching and thought-provoking. Jarod W. is the mastermind behind the longer songs on this split, averaging at about 9 1/2 minutes. These emotionally-indulgent tracks are very close to the Mogwai sound, but they are actually more grounded, less spacey than the reverb and effect-laden Mogsters. These tracks are something very luminous and without pretensions. "I Do A Pretty Good Muppet Walk" is my favorite track from the Dangerous Trap. The names of his tracks are explained below...
My favorite from the loins + the fruit-of is "The Avid Hornet Has To Dive Before It Enters The Transparent Lair Of Leaning Flowers". This track leads a heavier way through, and like "LIVE! Orange Sunshine", the sound put forth from these two gentlemen really do exude, as well as INDUCE, very sunshiny feelings. Or rather, sunSETy feelings. Though The End Of Science grants us a more aggressive approach, they still keep it together by letting us have more determined compositions, like someone who is facing a life in front of him knowing damn well he's a bout to do some great things.
I am quite happy to have had a chance to consider this before its release! You guys ROCK. Literally. And that is something this blog has needed without me knowing. I'm happy that someone had the grace to feel that what he and his buddies have to offer is good enough to stand out among a set of reviews on some heavy, dark, electronic stuff. It IS. It really is. If this were the Nineties, these guys would have record contracts and a special place in my Walkman. Well, it is a tape... and the Nineties are still here... in my heart.
Superb work, very emotional, and worthy of more praise than merely mine.

ARTIST STATEMENT:
JAROD WELDIN-
Dangerous Trap at this point is essentially my solo project. As much as I do enjoy collaborating with musicians and playing in bands, I started this project as a way of creating music without necessarily having to depend on working around other people's schedules, agendas, levels of enthusiasm/ambition, etc.
A big influence in convincing myself to follow through with the recordings came from punk rock; Dischord Records, The Minutemen, that do it yourself attitude. If you want to do something, do it. I recorded the songs using an old 8 track recorder and mixed them on my laptop. The drums were recorded using only three mics, one of which I bought from Radio Shack for around ten dollars. All of the guitar parts were recorded using a small, inexpensive Roland 1 x 10" amp. The recordings are certainly not without their share of flaws, but I think they are still a testament to the fact that with a little improvisation and creativity, you can still "jam econo" and create something that you're happy with. The song titles are lines from the Noah Baumbach films Kicking and Screaming (Oh, I've Been To Prague) and Mr. Jealousy (I Do A Pretty Good Muppet Walk).

THE END OF SCIENCE-
The End Of Science (post-rock, experimental, visual, instrumental narrative) was formed by Greg and Alex Mauro (father and son) and began writing and recording in 2008, releasing "OMGWTFBBQ" later that year; "Hence the Title" in mid 2009; and "Yrthak" via Futurerecordings Label in mid 2010. The band is based in San Diego.

Process etc...:
All songs are written and recorded in our humble home studio. The creative process (and recording process) varies for each piece - we try and steer clear of a "factory like" production or formulaic composition. We want each piece of music to exist in it's own sound-world, so the harmonic language, structure, gesture and feel of the music completely dictate how it will be written, arranged and recorded - no two songs are done in the same way.

Songs on the split release:
Both songs are previously unreleased...
"The Avid Hornet..." was inspired by some chord voicings Alex was messing with on piano. The title and emotional inspiration for the arrangement comes from the poem "Graves" by Rilke.

"LIVE! Orange Sunshine" was basically are very organized jam session recorded to sound a little dirty with "live" ambience. Of course the title is actually a brand of LSD "Orange Sunshine" created by The Brotherhood of Eternal Love (smugglers :) which I suppose had something to do with our approach to the sonic textures.