Month: March 2013

Alex Spalding – I’m Going to Die // NMMREM XX

Listening Alex Spalding’s newest effort I’m Going to Die based on his previous solo album Amos in Flames, may come as shock. The gentle electronics of Amos in Flames are gone and as a replacement, we have vast, heavy industrial. The sound doesn’t have a pinch of humanism in it. It is more reminiscent of deteriorated buildings rising from a deserted Soviet town. Harsh electro assault with some noise elements, dark beats, lots of dynamics and occasional melodies. I dig!

The beginning of the album is such a middle finger, Driver is a suitable intro with its harsh electronics but second track I’m Going To Die seems to be the real driver there, as it for sure will drive a lot of listeners away. The third track Re-program is what really starts the album. Judging by the trackname even the artist seems to be aware of that. In the half-way of the song the harsh beat and beeping suddenly halt to an ingenious noise-assault break which leads to an evil groove straight from the top. If you turn death metal riffs into electronic beats, this is what it could sound like.

Another notable track follows soon. Ugly with its more multidimensional evil groove. My favourite of the album. Very Alex Spalding-like a few very short, ok fillups Ender and Samäel balance the way to Bizzy In The Mix. An almost 6 minute track. It holds its ground remarkably well, shifting enough to stay interesting. Surprisingly enticing, or like my girlfriend blurted while wandering in the room: “sounds like robots having sex”. The strong middle album is completed with Gridlock, its most notable feature; a brilliant groovebassline!

I needed some pictures to spice up the review

so here’s a diagram about the best times

to listen Alex Spalding’s I’m going to die

After Gridlock the quality doesn’t go down notably, perhaps it is surroundings which become familiar as most of the rest float through without boring and without boring itself in memory. Except, goodness on the 10th track, Robotics, and the centerpiece of the album (more like fuck-you-piece) I’m Going To Die (Full Version). Not bad for a 23 MINUTE NOISE TRACK, but I cannot see how a 23 MINUTE NOISE TRACK wouldn’t be skipped when I’m enjoying my industrial.

The sound, and the beats are enjoyable, but the problem is, it continues all album long. The album would love a bit more variation, like the organic bass line of Gridlock, or eardrum busting à la Re-Program. Not surprisingly the best tracks come from the beginning.

If you are into dancing in factory halls with your gasmask on, while stabbing cybergoths in the face; this is your stuff. Or if you’d like to hear how close to Metal electronic music can be, try it out. The industrial metallish tinge brings in mind the degradiation of Eastern block at its worst. Decline is beautiful. I heard in Ukraine there is a festival in an old Nuclear power plant. Maybe someone should book Alex Spalding?

7½/10

A Free download album as always: http://archive.org/details/SPNet076-AlexSpalding-ImGoingToDie (only 56 downloads are you kidding me?)

Track-by-track

1. Driver

Beatwork seems to be just emerging, a fitting sound for an intro. Thematically brings in mind Kanellos’ In A Breath (http://archive.org/details/Siro584Kanellos-DestroyMusic; to be reviewed soon). Like the beat is behind something taking the top out of it.

2. I’m Going To Die (LP Version)

Short enough to listen, still skipping it half of the time but it also provides a giggle now and then.

3. Re-program:

First it is catchy, then it busts your eardrums with noise, you may feel angriness rising up, but it is very shortly turned into aggressive euphoria as the next beat is even catchier. The beat switch with a noise-assault break in between is ingenious.

4. Ender

A good progress to a beat and a melody, but simply worse than Re-Program and Ugly.

5. Ugly:

Multidimensional evil groove explodes near one minute marker to a 3D headphone experience.

6. Samäel

A Random idea thrown in the midst.

7. Bizzy In The Mix

Robots having sex.

8. Gridlock

Bores in the beginning but then a groove bass bores itself in. Through all industrial layers it sounds absolutely wonderful to hear some organic-like instruments.

9. Stabbing Death

Very odd, Alex Spalding’s fetish for noise is apparent on this one. Lots of heavy steelwork.

10. Robotics

A robotic noisevoice seems to repeat my first name!?! Possibly for this, Robotics takes its place on the top of the album.

11. Gauge

Very beat oriented. Beat as a main drive and melody. I feel the beat is a bit alone, it might fancy a helping hand. Still works and surprises await.

12. Rotting

Great flow from Gauge, its aborted little brother.

13. Alex Spalding – I’m Going To Die (Full Version)

The centerpiece of the album. 23 minutes of noise, more like fuck-you-piece. I sat through it once, was entertained, annoyed and laughed. Good times. Never again. Funnily in this noise track there is a catch! A repeating “chorus” sort of! Voice repeating “I’m going tooo diiiiieee” at probably 50 times during the length of the track. I find myself trying to sing along with it but the voice cuts of abruptly half the time. Works well listened a few minutes at a time randomly.

14. Colder Than You

Ambience, steel girder tamping while grand factorylines mechanically move on… Over 5 minutes but I never have any hurry in skipping it. On the other hand I can never recall what happened in it either.

Glanko – Telekommand EP // NMMREM XIX

Glanko, classified as IDM (short for intelligent dance music) did not gain my interest with the genre title. I very rarely enjoy dance music. With the track 9003 (/w mote) on my Facebook wall by Pollux I thought I need to give it a listen. Boy was I surprised; 9003 sounds like it is from a movie, assessing melancholic violins and orchestrations in a mellow ambient and rather organic atmosphere. A thrilling neoclassical track, but nothing like the rest of the album.

Purely electronics driven; first half of constantly glitching; wonderously mystical Maikurofomu CC walks a tightrope and slips off balance only to regain it with a somersault.

Second track Telekommand A has probably the best hook of the album, with the bass line at 2.50, peaking already at 2.55 to the sudden glitching bassdrop. Many times have I found myself humming this bassline, along with the bassdrop after listening this EP. It is a shame, in reality the best hook of the album, is never repeated. But the strong bassline stays there for quite a while and mildly changes form constantly. As if there is one thing that Glanko’s Telekommand lacks it is memorable melodies and hooks. Telekommand is a very enticing entity but it doesn’t have jaw-droppers except a few individual moments and the fourth track, 9003 (w/ Mote). When 9003 (w/ Mote) is pure 10/10 material the rest of the album fades into 8/10 territory.

It doesn’t mean it is not a strong very original entity with a high base level. The mystical atmosphere stays intact; melodies and mixtures of sounds I’ve never heard anywhere else. There are a lot of stuff happening beyond the surface. Kudos to the artist for not overpeaking the tracks and allowing an extreme volumedose!

9-/10

Free Download: http://archive.org/details/siro570Glanko-TelekommandEp

Great Music Videos – Fall 2012 – A Forest of Stars, Swallow The Sun, Agalloch

Something different for a change. Music videos and fan videos that I have enjoyed lately.

A Forest of Stars – Gatherer of the Pure (official music video) (61 000 views)

At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I will still label this as the best music video I have ever seen. It was released in June 2012 and made an intense impact. In fact with the second view. The first was stunning but after the second view I had time to focus on the other aspects besides the plot and music. Since then I must have rewatched it over 20 times.

The video is very game-like reminding of the beginning of a masterful game, Braid. It also has a Limbo-like dark colour and character scheme. But still does it uniquely that its clear its not a rip off of any single influence. The track Gatherer of Pure is a good one. First time ever, when listening the track from the cd; I actually wish I was watching the music video instead. Without the music video the track just isn’t complete. It even works to that extent that for a lyrics freak like me, the lyrics of track are just a minor point. The most important point is the balance of the dramatic composition and dramatic events in the video which are very well adapted together.

The graphic illustrations are of course nothing short of stunning with absolutely beautiful shots from an imaginary place. The clever use of yellow and black and white colour scheme with at times sparked with red, blue and other effectcolours is a remarkable effect. After the video looks like just a misshapen love story, do not miss the end. It is such a distorted piece of plot-twists that will blow you away.

Swallow the Sun – Emerald Forest And The Blackbird (Unofficial Video) (4800 views)


In fact, it is a fan video of clicheic forest photography. But, the photography is so stunning that it doesn’t bother at all. Absolutely beautiful forest shots encompassed with one of the best songs of 2011. A stunning view that takes you away for a wintery forest walk in Finland. Very topical as the winter is coming…


Agalloch – The Sowilo Rune (“The Sowilo Man” fan video) (2300 views)


A fan video, named “The Sowilo Man” is of course a take on the events from the move The Wicker Man (1973). One of my all time favourite movies. Taken from The White EP that encompasses a lot of elements and voice clips from the movie. For everyone who loves the film; this video is a welcome revisit to the lovely looking, beautiful yet in the end dark schemes of the movie.

And a word of advise for everyone not familiar with the original Wicker Man. Do not watch the Nicholas Cage version (2006). Find the classic Wicker Man of 1973 or better yet, the extended edit. It has lots of great scenes that were cut out of the theatrical version without the agreement of the film creators. Some of these parts are in this video as well.

Sergeant Howie: “And what of the true God? To whose glory churches and monasteries have been built on these islands for generations past? Now shall what of Him?”

Lord Summerisle: “Oh, He’s dead. He can’t complain. He had his chance and in modern parlance. Blew it.”