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Molecules · 01-03-2010, 01:35 AM

(2009) About 6 hours of heavily textured drones/loops etc from some French cats calling themselves Natural Snow Buildings. DoD is a struggle to appreciate initially, then to enjoy when many of the tracks last half an hour or more. However it eventually becomes apparent that concentration won't get you anywhere, and the album reveals its secrets to you. Like those 3D illusion pictures, or some esoteric/Eastern mystic sh*t.

So to the untrained virgin ear this is just monotonous. But the seemingly infinite undulating progressions of 'DoD' are very subtley constructed - one 'mantra' can morph into something completely different without the listener really noticing until it's too late, and you've forgotten where you took off from. That's drone though.
However, I should stress that this isn't noise-based like Merzbow or whatever... there is indeed looped MBV-style feedback but NSB are set apart by being ultimately rooted in acoustic sounds and a pastoral serenity. Though definitiely not on a New Age tip - look at the track titles ffs.
Oh and if you get this off the blogs you'll be listening to something ripped from tape; it's my understanding that this aesthetic would now be seen to fall under the 'hypnagogic pop/glo-fi' *ack* category: a 'movement', 'tipped' in mainstream media New Year lists to take off in 2010 (meaning you will soon be inundated with the shit). However NSB have been doing this for a long while, a long way from California, and do not have a preoccupation with 80s kitsch... So take a dip and see if they are worth hours and hours and hours of your time! I think they are.

Throbbing Gristle 'Heathen Earth: the Live Sound of TG' (1981)

Funny I should mention tape loops, because Throbbing Gristle were one of the pioneers of noise music's obsession with them, not to mention all manner of industrial racket that would follow in their wake. 'Heathen Earth' is I think their last 'official' album before their reformation, and sees the infamously abrasive and avant-garde sensibilites of Genesis P'Orridge (that's the 'frontman') turned, in part, to more ambient ends. They still retain that fascination with the dark side of human nature, but 'Heathen' is easier on the ears than most of their stuff and is a good entry point for anybody who's curious about these lovely, lovely people and their coldsweat-inducing muzik. Not to mention the fact that it was recorded live throughout '78, and captures their notoriously confrontational-yet-captivating performances.

01-03-2010, 01:35 AM	#2867 (permalink)
Molecules daddy don't Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: the Wastes Posts: 2,577	(2009) About 6 hours of heavily textured drones/loops etc from some French cats calling themselves Natural Snow Buildings. DoD is a struggle to appreciate initially, then to enjoy when many of the tracks last half an hour or more. However it eventually becomes apparent that concentration won't get you anywhere, and the album reveals its secrets to you. Like those 3D illusion pictures, or some esoteric/Eastern mystic sht. So to the untrained virgin ear this is just monotonous. But the seemingly infinite undulating progressions of 'DoD' are very subtley constructed - one 'mantra' can morph into something completely different without the listener really noticing until it's too late, and you've forgotten where you took off from. That's drone though. However, I should stress that this isn't noise-based like Merzbow or whatever... there is indeed looped MBV-style feedback but NSB are set apart by being ultimately rooted in acoustic sounds and a pastoral serenity. Though definitiely not on a New Age tip - look at the track titles ffs. Oh and if you get this off the blogs you'll be listening to something ripped from tape; it's my understanding that this aesthetic would now be seen to fall under the 'hypnagogic pop/glo-fi' ack* category: a 'movement', 'tipped' in mainstream media New Year lists to take off in 2010 (meaning you will soon be inundated with the shit). However NSB have been doing this for a long while, a long way from California, and do not have a preoccupation with 80s kitsch... So take a dip and see if they are worth hours and hours and hours of your time! I think they are. Throbbing Gristle 'Heathen Earth: the Live Sound of TG' (1981) Funny I should mention tape loops, because Throbbing Gristle were one of the pioneers of noise music's obsession with them, not to mention all manner of industrial racket that would follow in their wake. 'Heathen Earth' is I think their last 'official' album before their reformation, and sees the infamously abrasive and avant-garde sensibilites of Genesis P'Orridge (that's the 'frontman') turned, in part, to more ambient ends. They still retain that fascination with the dark side of human nature, but 'Heathen' is easier on the ears than most of their stuff and is a good entry point for anybody who's curious about these lovely, lovely people and their coldsweat-inducing muzik. Not to mention the fact that it was recorded live throughout '78, and captures their notoriously confrontational-yet-captivating performances. __________________ [SIZE="1"]Eff em tumble her Last edited by Molecules; 01-03-2010 at 01:41 AM.