15 Degrees Below Zero "Morphine Dawn" CD
[Crunch Pod]
This material was recorded back in 2001 - 2002, and just released in early-July of this year. I didn't know what to expect from the abstract and fairly open artwork, so I was pleased to find some fairly interesting and developed dark ambient soundscapes that are actually quite diverse. Opener, "Waiting for Laraine", for example, shifts from powerful distortion and whispered vocals (actually the finest moments on the disc) to subtly glitchy electronics and melodic synth/string instrumentation, slowing bringing back in some blips and midrange distortion that spin and pan back and forth around the speakers. "Anybody There?" is a bit more "electronic" sounding, with lots of textured blips and crinkles, as well as some subtly percussive and melodic elements. "Downs. (Part One)" then brings back some acoustic guitar chords deep in the mix against a crackle of light distortion and some metallic ambient textures that ring and shift about. A few slightly rhythmic noises are present as well, but the hypnotic lull of the chords is the dominant element. Closer "Sunshine" is along the same lines, longer at 8+ minutes, and with more significant manipulation over the stringed instrumentation, creating a slightly darker vibe in some ways (not to mention starting off with a quick sample that speaks, "Surreal..."). I'd say this piece is certainly more dynamic, dropping back to a murky passage with a few random sounding notes from the guitar and pulsing fits of minimal distortion in light wisps. The recording is pristinely crisp, which not only accents the style of the tracks, but feels perfectly at home in these surroundings, fitting the overall style very well. I certainly admire the attention to detail in the mix and sound quality. The CD comes in a slim jewel case, which is a nice touch that I feel should be used more widely across the board for CD EP's. The layout is clean and minimal with crisp text and Rorschach test looking visuals, keeping it simple but effective. A good EP, for sure. Honestly a bit more structure and melody could make this work truly superb, as some of the almost loose or improvisational elements sort of break apart the more powerful aspects from time to time. Good work, though. Certainly curious... (7/10)
Running time - 24:54, Tracks: 4
[Notable tracks: Waiting for Laraine, Downs. (Part One)]
Crunch Pod - http://www.crunchpod.com

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