|
|
May 29th, 2006 by Jonathan Fletcher (Permalink)
Label: Miasmah Year: 2006 Add Comments |
Of course, you can maybe put it down to the environment- a surfeit of day and/or night and harsh extremes of ice, cold and snow but ‘Silva’ is a blissfully haunted work. That it is a compilation of new material by various artists only adds to its overwhelming power. This is an exquisitely designed, sonically eclectic and beautifully mysterious debut album release for Norway’s Miasmah label. Previously overseeing over 60 releases via downloads or EPs, Miasmah is run by Erik Sudovkin who is one half of Deaf Center and the album collects a range of artists working to a loose concept to create sounds of a “theatrical” and “dark organic” persuasion. Silva succeeds entirely through this combination as individual offerings carve out their own niche across a consistently maintained atmosphere that I can only describe as H P Lovecraft and The Brothers Quay remixing Gavin Bryars’ ‘Sinking of The Titanic’. Indeed, the darkly dramatic landscapes evoked within distract from the contemporary techniques. This work steps sideways outside of time, occupying its own haunted space.
The curtain rises with Makunouchi Bento’s ‘Piacente’, a hammered distant piano, clanging noises and multifarious tones and frequencies. Ryan Tegue’s ‘Study for Prepared Violin’ is processed drones and ghost horns whilst Library Tapes ‘The Scratches on the Window in the Doors of Each Cell’ both wins the song title of the month award and almost makes explicit the Lovecraft comparison. The final three pieces are clearly designed for strange dreams of the unknown. Deaf Centre weigh in with a staggeringly odd piece- what sounds like a sail mast clanging in the wind immediately masking a more spectre like drone, glimpsed miles offshore, out of sight and sidereal but nevertheless ever-present. The tension is magnified a thousand fold by what the grunts and stammers of some kind of creature. This is followed by Svarte Greiner’s (the man Sudovkin) ‘Traditional Wood on Trees’ which fuses dramatic piano with brief orchestral flourishes and digital interruptions. However, the brutal edits interrupt the flow, the effect akin to helplessly watching time fold itself in front of your eyes. Curtain fall comes with ‘July’ by Jasper TX (from the Lampse label whose recently released Machinefabriek album forges a perfect compliment to Silva), 8 ½ minutes of submerged gaseous guitar overlaid by chilling pops and the most fleetingly intermittent and stark of melodies.
Wonderful and beguiling from start to finish, this is a supremely eerie pleasure.
Purchase or search for related items:
September 7th, 2006 at 10:17 am
I just thought I would say this is an absolutely breath taking piece and I am grateful for your recommendation. I have since checked out Jasper TX and am trying to find more Greg Haines, looking forward to his release in the impending future.