Like
the title says, this one's a comp dedicated to HP Lovecraft. Lots of
trippy industrial on here, as well as a liner rant from Robert Price. The
liner art is a bunch of understated HPL-style horrors (although it looks a
little like a tarantula and a mealworm in low light). If not necessarily
purely Lovecraftian, this is in any case an interesting look at the darker
side of industrial and ambient.
Decoded Feedback - Re-Animation
- Opening the compilation is industrial heavy Decoded Feedback. For
openers we have cheesy synth vox, subtle bass, a fast electro beat and
organ synths. This track's mostly minor key stuff (gee, so much unlike the
rest of this comp). Heavily distorted vox abound here; the vocalist is
doing the whole "eee-vil" hissing thing. It's very Psychopomps,
although a bit more delicate. Decoded Feedback are a fairly well known
band, giving this comp a bit of weight it otherwise might not have had.
Later in the track, a bit more of a beat is added, with bass synths.
Decoded
Feedback Web: http://www.interlog.com/~defcode
Hexedene - Dreams in the
Witchhouse - Some backward masked drums lead, with radically
flaked out guitar and protracted overprocessed either synths or vox (hard
to tell). Then onward we go into sitar, tribal drums, and high female
vocals. Eventually it changes to a vaguely Indian beat with heavily
processed drums and flanged synths. The fem. vox come back, weaving in and
out (no apparent lyrics). Lots of buzzing synths here.
Hexedene
Web: http://www.sonic-boom.com/mission-control
Society Burning - Hold Your
Breath (Dreams 1 & 2) - Distorted vocals, like radio, and
low synths kick this one off. It has a very minimalist start (like
Tangerine Dream), then accelerates into fast industrial breakbeat with
minimalist synths. More synths are added as the track goes on, and a very
fast tempo is the rule here. This somewhat reminds me of some of
Squarepusher's more accessible stuff. Synths are periodically added and
removed, with lots of spatial stereo field effects. They really cranked
the sequencer on this one; it's pure acid cyberpunk. Dream 2 is
very Tangerine Dream again. There's a sense of open space, with rather
angular synths, but periodically infected with echoes of the chaos of Dream
1.
Society Burning Web:
http://www.netherworld.com/~twitch/sobu.html
Xol Dog 400 - C'thulhu
- This track opens with seagulls and crashing waves. Then it goes into the
fast, pounding synths and mechanical squeaking. The beat is the only thing
that varies. More beat layers are added as the track goes on. The bass
fades in eventually, under fast scratchy synths. Then the pounding and
seagulls are back. More of the same for almost 6 minutes, then back to the
beach. I zoned.
Xol Dog 400 Web:
http://www.xol-dog-400.de/
New Mind - Fading Giant
- This one's heavy from the get-go. Featuring a slow, thumping beat,
fading, flanged vox, and minimalist synths, the track title describes the
track. It follows up with boinging synths, then on into the odd flanged
high synths. Suddenly the beat drops out to a minimalist bass thump, and
the synths get into the heavy glide. Then the original beat comes back
with hi-hat cymbals and flanged high synths (like overly high vocal
synths). This is ambient as hell, albeit a mite funkier than industrial
usually gets.
New Mind Web:
http://www.sonic-boom.com/mission-control
Burning Blue - To Ramble in the Hills - Here's a high pitched 80s style synthpop beat, which turns into minimalist thumping industrial. TRITH has low standard goth style vox, with some synth strings/woodwinds. Coming into the chorus, the bass synths cut in. This reminds me of Rosetta Stone sans guitar.
Suspicion Breeds Confidence - Thaumaturgos - A high feedback squeal starts this one out, panning between right and left. This turns into a high synth with exactly the same effect. A light tinkling beat and synths back it up, along with a synth effect not unlike an alarm clock. The high pitched squealing continues past the point of being annoying, with low muttered, distorted vox under it. Weird beat structure on this one. I'd call it the most Lovecraftian of the tracks so far. Listen to it once.
Seven Trees - Fallen Idols (Legends Speak Mix) - Some low distorted radio samples lead, then some strings, with an extremely slow beat, then some synths come in under, with more distorted samples. The track then goes into a harp/harpsichord melody line. This eventually turns into straightforward synth piece with a militaresque beat, albeit still slow. Later, the beat fades, slows down into a thumpier feel, with louder distorted vox overlaid.
Oneiroid Psychosis - Nightgaunts
- The main theme here is deep strings with light piano overlay,
and very light fading choral synths with a buzzing synth bassline. Sounds
like atmospheric music for a film about a child confronting the bogeyman.
Eventually some tiredgoth whining vocals are added. Suddenly the track
grows a faster, irregular beat, as well as guitar synths. Shades of
Queensryche/Led Zeppelin abound here, very pompous. The guitar goes away
briefly, then fades to tinkling piano.
Oneiroid
Psychosis Web: http://home.att.net/~psylabs/op-frame.htm
Inertia - Sectorial
- Thumpy buzzing, chirping insectile synths are the rule here, with very
low, distorted vox. Eventually the synths take on a familiar minor-key
industrial feel. The synths are later interspersed with hydraulic sounds
during the run.
Inertia Web:
http://www.cryonica.com/inertmenu.htm
Stone 588 - Conversations with
Chaos - Here we have, well, chaos, by Ipso Facto's house
band. It's swirlygirlygoth, only crunchy.
Stone 588
Web: http://home.earthlink.net/~ipsofacto/s588.htm
D-Drik & Iktus - Tok'! - All there is here is a gradually increasing buzzing synth tone, which cuts out halfway through the track, followed by some mechanical clunking and another tone, which cuts in and out interspersed with random electronic noise. Then there's a distorted roar, which fades out.
Railgun - The Whisperer in the
Darkness - This starts with a yell, followed by insectile
buzzing and hissing, and eventually another yell. Various echoing spacy
synths are extant here, as well as what sounds like scrambled radio
samples. Then of course there's the expected synth pulsing, beat, and
occasional vocal samples cutting in. This track makes a little more use of
the cymbals than most of the industrial I've heard. There's a bit of a
Vangelis vibe here, but heavier. Halfway through we have some screaming,
buzzing, and deep laughter. After this, it develops almost an 80s robotic
dance vibe (shades of Herbie Hancock). There's an increasingly complex
synth riff, then back to the basic industrial theme, followed by more
synth noodling.
Railgun Web:
http://users.lanminds.com/atomick/railgun/
Forma Tadre - Corona Mundi
- This one's all spacey ambience with no beat. There are lots of light
synths fading in and out, and some tinkling. It's very Tangerine
Dream/Vangelis.
Forma Tadre Web:
http://nexon.com/forma.tadre
Overall, this is a very good comp, mixed about 2 to 1 industrial for ambient. It's a little more spacey and bleak than most rivetheads are used to, but it's definitely quality. Besides, HPL himself was all about spacey bleakness anyway.
Contact Information:
Post: Dion Fortune Records, Hospelstraße 66, D-50825 Köln
Fax: +49 221 542830
E-mail:
101674.1556@compuserve.com
Web: http://www.noisemail.com
