Nexsound – experimental, ambient, noise, improv record label

Review

re:mote

the Moglass – Kogda Vse Zveri Zhili Kak Dobrye Sosedi

Once more the difference of opinion reared its head when discussing an atmospheric act with a friend this week and once again it was highlighted just how subjective this field of music can be. So then to The Moglass, an act I was previously unaware of who hail from the Ukraine and play a style of music that could have so easily been this point of debate. For what it’s worth, my take on the sound of The Moglass is a highly positive one. The music is a very rich and textured affair, concentrating on thick timbres that, according to the press release, flow from treated guitars and old Soviet analogue synths. As such this sound is familiar, no doubt you may have heard many acts who use similar sounds, but I feel that this should not detract from the enjoyment of the music.

My personal view with regards to this sort of deeply atmospheric music is that it is very much something of a balancing act. The art of striking an equilibrium between repetition and progression. In this case, The Moglass get things just right such that the repetition lulls the listener into just the right mindset whilst movement and flux in the sound is just enough to keep the synapses lazily firing. On occasion, aspects of the sound will emerge from the main flow of sound that crave closer attention allowing for periods of closer involvement with the work. This helps the album to establish a dynamic around its greater form which in turn adds to the feelings of drifting movement and ultimately to an album that should be experienced as a whole.

Back then I go to thinking over the disagreement and the thought is there that this album could so easily be part of this disagreement. Perhaps the progression in the sound may be too slow, or even too fast, for another person’s taste. Or maybe they might find that the points of focus in the work are not actually worth focussing on. It is the nature of the beast in this genre but I would definitely finish off this review by saying that I feel it is an album worthy of consideration. That anyone with an interest in this genre should at least give this album a few listens. For me, its an evocative and emotive work so I’ll continue to enjoy it regardless.

re:mote

Alphonse de Montfroyd – Silence

Silence is the first release by Ukranian Alphonse De Montfroyd, another of the recent 3″s to be released on the Berlin based Ad Noiseam label, following the LS-TTL release 43Hz as a contribution to the dark ambient series. Each track is notionally untitled, referred to on the sleeve by a sequence of dots to indicate track order along with the duration of the piece. “.” starts as a swirl of sound, mounting as it continues, diffusing in its layers. Balancing levels of whistling and oscillation, spiralling into an overall pulsation, with high-toned edges that flirt with being piercing. Details of micro sound and turned waves work through the core sound, giving a more textural effect. “..” has a grindier bass feel, flat with squelching pulses to go with that. The thump of the bass rises as the piece continues, with a more distinct bass pulse humming along, to form the slow oscillation of a spiral. This is starting to gain a vague impression of being claustrophobic, the timbre of the bass pressing in. The piece has a progressive intensification, which marks this as being more memorable than the previous track. Becoming almost a looping stroke in form. “…” begins with electronic drips, extending into repeated sonar pulses, with a little wind catching up and behind that. This gives a certain dankness, which insect pulses call out from. “….” is scraping with the rise of its electronic lines, and vague echoed effects. Coming up in looped peaks, struggling to the top, sliding down, and again. A granular tunnel effect is established, with a shuttled stroke going back and forth along its length. There is a particulate grit and increasing focus on the layers of sound that we are hearing, tending towards a more chaotic and organic system in the process. “…..” is the last piece, which mixes a warm vibe with a breathy flow and a regular ticking effect. The result works as an intensifying sustained drone, with slight details patterning its dimensional scale. The chopping tick has become more tack, more striking, periodically significant within the mix.