Id "Proton One" 10
[Speeding Across My Hemisphere]
Here's some experimental dark ambient from London that was recorded over the course of three years and originally intended to be released as either D.A.R.K. or Project Dark (two former projects of the band's sole member). "L'Homme Sans Visage" consists mainly of low hums and drones. It's a short piece at less than three minutes, but repetitive and also warm and effective. This track was recorded live during a soundcheck to use as a backing tape. Pretty cool. "Holloway" is another quick one, this time more on the menacing side of things. It's still based around simple hums, but some twisted high squeals cut in an out and swirl around the mix as well. "Get Back (On the Smack)" is again very brief, though quieter and more percussive. There's no constant hum or drone, just shuffling rhythmic sounds. This is a demented "tribute" to The Beatles in some way, using D.A.R.K.'s "Destroy The Beatles" 7" as source material. "Kashmir Sweater" is slightly longer, and oddly titled considering that it is the most immense and brooding composition herein. Excellent bass rumbles mix with odd reverberations that almost sound like a didgeridoo. There's definitely a nice, hypnotic throb going on here. Damn nice, considering this was all done with a tone generator. Side B offers up one huge 14+ minute track, "The Arrest of Lieutenant Golightly". This one uses Holly Golightly records and loops with a DJ sampler and pedals as its source. The loops are very rhythmic and far more obvious than they may be elsewhere. The composition builds up by layering loops and adding in some distortion and flanger to separate textures. Things get more abrasive and dynamic here, making this the most complete and diverse piece. All of the recordings are very warm and consistent considering the circumstances, and the massively thick European vinyl is certainly not doing anything to detract from the quality of the audio! The package is plain, but interesting. The outer sleeve is all black and white checkered squares, with two squares cut out of each side to let text from the inner sleeve show through. It's a simple but effective touch that makes all the difference. I also like the fact that there is some information provided regarding the release and the individual tracks. This one was a nice surprise. I could deal with more visual flare and a lack of "humorous" song titles, but speaking strictly of the sounds, this is very good material. (7/10)
Running time - 27:00 (approximately), Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: Kashmir Sweater, The Arrest of Lieutenant Golightly]
Speeding Across My Hemisphere - http://www.suggestion-records.de

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