dankrsta

Ok, time for me to report back about a couple of albums I've been sent.

Dayvan Cowboy sent me:


Autechre - Quaristice

Well, this was interesting, to say the list. I went to this album as someone who doesn't listen to Autechre that often. I've only heard Tri Repetae before this one and I must say I still like it more. This album was hard for me to get into at first. It demands full attention, I couldn't use it as a background 'cause I found it annoying then. But when I sat and listened closely I was intrigued. It wasn't an easy listen mainly because of the huge number of tracks, 20 relatively short ones. I found it interesting that the majority of these tracks felt like fragments, miniatures and snippets of some nonexistent more developed and rounded tracks. These were usually the shortest, there were too many of them and they had so much going on they felt way longer. This is where this album is at its coldest, sounds very calculated, robotic and mathematical. The tracks I loved the most were the ones where this cybernetic quality is contrasted with some minimalism of repetition which gives an interesting dynamic, appears to have a development and establishes some atmosphere, like 'Tankakern', 'rale', 'WNSN' etc. Oh I have to add that I found the names of tracks also interesting, with many of them looking like they were picked up from some scientific formulas. Well, it fits with the music. So, did I love this album? Not really. Do I feel drawn to figure it out? Most definitely. Thanks Dayvan for this challenge.

This is something completely different. Music is so warm, feels like spreading through space like a warm breeze. Well, this is definitely true of the opening track that somehow sets the overall melancholic tone of the album which can be felt even in faster, rockier songs. There are so many familiar moments here, from post-rock, Sonic Youth-esque riffs that reminded me of their Goo period to the best traditions of alt/indie rock. There's one song that encompasses all this - 'Dá-me a tua melhor faca', probably the best song on the album, just beautiful. 'Partir Para Ficar' is another very good one, with a melancholic Slint touch (I loved those somewhat shy accordion sounds). So many good songs here, it's really hard for me to choose favorites: 'Estuque' sounds like a weep, 'Quarto' starts like a typical alt-rock and then dissolves into epic post-rock instrumentation, closing 'A Severa'. There isn't one bad song here. What I find especially compelling is that despite the familiarity the music is very fresh and has something distinct, some warmth best heard in the singer's voice and overall melody. There's also some deep sadness here, not depression and darkness, but something I haven't heard in Anglo music whose influence is still very evident. I don't really know what it is, but it might be safe to assume it's something distinctively Portuguese. And I think it's beautifully reflected in the album art too. Thanks Unchained Ballad. I see myself listening to this album very often.

Well, after hearing this album a couple times, I'd say this description is perfect. Very dark ambient, deep drone sounds and that watery quality, a sense of dripping, like you said. Heh, reminded me of Dark Water film. I especially love those transformed dub sounds. They give this music something distinct that makes it different from the majority of dark ambient I've heard. Contrasted with long drones that feel like coming from deep within carrying some foreboding, this is hard to forget long after I turn it off. Favorite tracks: excellent opening 'Caged In Stammheim' that doesn't reveal everything, but promises many things, 'Eurydice' encompasses the best qualities of the album and 'Bardo Thodol' with magical, seductive middle eastern melodies. I think I've mentioned already, I have such a soft spot for them, I loose it every time I hear them. 'Matilda Dream' is a perfect closing, a total hypnosis. I must say album art is excellent, looks like it's from some film. Thanks jackhammer! This was so good that I'm going to check more of their albums.

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