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SGNL>05
Isis |
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Bordering upon aesthetically pleasing aural characteristics and bombastic noise, this latest body of work from the mighty Isis is hard to grasp at first… in fact mere human hands would be of little use and as well, the recording itself, hard to imagine a creation as mechanized as this was bore from the work of human hands. Alternatively moving from soft subtle ambience to disturbing industrial effects which forcibly grip and exhume every last breath of modern technology, "SGNL>05" is an unsettling journey within natural wonders and futuristic visions. Neurot Recordings is the brain trust of fellow noise artist extremists Neurosis and following suit, Isis, first developed back in '98, has continued to progress-metamorphosis is a better word, with each successive movement finally culminating here. Slow moving and dark, the haunting, sometimes daunting nature which thrusts the listener haphazardly into this channel of cosmic forces at play, revealing twisting turning, usually formless pieces of sonic textures, wrapped in a storm cloud of suddenness and sometimes a state of independent flux. Only where track five enters the picture-or 16 as presented on the disc, though only five do exist, do we hear the first echoes of human existence from the opening drum beats, slowly entering guitar chords, all engulfed in a swirling wind-like effect which soon gives way to simply guitar and drum, very subtle still, unaccompanied until a moaning voice can be heard in the background-this one, "Celestial (Signal Fills The Void)" a remix by Godflesh's Justin K. Broadrick, originally turning up an album before of the same name, is quite refreshing, nearly upbeat by mid-point where piano accompaniment, or something to that effect (with so much in the way of artificial stimuli taking place there's never total assurance) gives this one a melodious and compelling conclusion to an interesting piece of recorded art that's as difficult to describe as it is to explain. Released by Neurot Recordings Review by Vinnie Apicella
[va85@columbia.edu] |
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"Oceanic" Isis |
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Divided into nine total parts, beginning of the end… rather "The Beginning and The End" greets us all at once and at once with an ethereal yet edgy tone, carried by six foot crashing waves of guitar heightening the subversive undercurrent that follows a smooth tempo… a ripple through calm waters for an eight minute merging with the sea and sky… Soon after, as we follow sequentially, "Oceanic," presents a mesmerizing merging with the earthly essentials and all its beauty and uncertainty; we're like a body in motion and at rest in an ever-shifting continuum of instrumental depth, which follows the tide in a literally themed ode to existence… simple to follow with the occasional undertow. "The Other" follows suit with a windswept and soothing tempo, occasionally defiant at or near the crest, while overall maintaining a mystical presence consistent with the mystery and wonder we feel and are wont to respect of still water… "False Light" pierces consequentially through the storm cloud of emotions filtered through chorded quick chops and background screams, while "Carry" embodies an electric presence-a calm before and after a storm, and instilled with creative harmonics and lush tones revealing an increased air of ambience. Isis, as have they been from the onset, is an acquired taste, though they're not one to content themselves to tread on past progress. Rather, "Oceanic" is a flightier achievement than were their previously known works, like a "Celestial," or "Sgnl>05," either of which was more in a realm of exploratory noise with faint traces of aesthetics. Here we're engulfed by the full depth of the ocean-a vastness and uncertainty from which they envision where the music, at once organic, aural, and textural, is effectual in its earthly origins, yet captivating for its slow moving and soulful expanse. While the pace and structure overall
is of a similar essence with variant breaks between, there lies revealed
an intensity overlaying the casual gothic beauty, where drama and density,
cause and effect collide with Goth/Metal and Darkwave continuums…
like a Katatonia, My Dying Bride, or Anathema… wandering, weightless
and without words. Released by Ipecac Records Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] P.O. Box 20252
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