This, the second full-length from these dark ambient greats, was recorded over the course of a lengthy four years, and the time that went into the compositions definitely shows. The result is over an hour's worth of supreme experimental electronic mastery. "Disconnecting States" is simply superb, definitely on par with the professionalism and communicative atmosphere of soundscapes that might be used as the score for a film. Excellent depth, beautifully bleak musical melodies, intelligent and applicable integration of vocal samples... the works. "Chapel Perilious" sort of has an industrial feel with heavy, repetitive percussion and some toned down vocal work as well. I guess it's almost like a calm power electronics sort of thing, as there's definitely some crunchy distortion and louder textures, but it's not abrasive or anything like that... This one is definitely an example of the album's diversity. "Quartered Conclusion" uses some thick vocals deep in the mix amidst unique, spacey loops and gritty textures. I can't make out the content of the vocals, and the pitch is pretty distorted so it's hard to be sure what's going on. "The Engine of Space" closes the disc with over seven minutes of hypnotic repetition of strange percussive sounds and very quiet ambient rumbles in the distance - certainly one of the more disturbing tracks herein. This is another one of those discs that really plays out like a good, consistent whole as opposed to a segmented piece by piece listen, despite the fact that there is a lot of variation involved. The mood is what makes the difference, and here the tone of each track is very much along the same lines, thus carrying the experience. Even though most every song clocks in at more than six or seven minutes, I never find myself becoming bored. Of course the recording is perfect, as would be expected from such pillars of the genre. Everything is crisp yet full, with nice attention to subtle detail, even though things are somewhat minimal in nature (or at least they seem that way on the surface). The disc comes in a glossy digipack with lots of bizarre imagery that is mostly tinted green. The text is printed in a metallic bronze ink. Most of the imagery looks like landscapes of some sort, possible caverns or some sort of outer space scenery. Clearly there are some unique ideas at work here, as defined by the paragraphs that span the flaps of the package: "If one has risen into the depths of infinity, different phenomena become visible, noticeable and thus perceptible. The crackling of the anonymous is a symbol for the experiences, which results from the radiation fields of the immeasurable... Are you in the position to perceive the hidden tones and to cross the threshold?" Of course there's more to it than that, but you get the idea. Another superb release from both Inade and the stellar Loki Foundation. Highly recommended.
[Loki]
Running time - 64:50, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Disconnecting States, Chapel Perilious, The Engine of Space]
Loki Foundation - http://www.loki-found.de
