Three tracks (one of which is a three-parter) of very nice, flowing dark ambient soundscapes. I've never heard of this project before and was unsure of what to make of this based on the visual presentation, which definitely intrigued me, but it all makes sense now. "Toroidal Circulation 1 & 2" opens at 15 minutes of soft, ethereal rings and drones - very minimal and somewhat quiet, but effectively hypnotic in persistence and quality of resonant sound. The latter half gets much thicker and more pulsing with low-end, sulking down to a quieter and more subdued volume level. The 12-minute "Burn the River" follows, opening with a looped pulse that sounds almost like an alarm, over some blips and chirps that have much more movement than the first piece. I'm not as into it though, as the loop kind of gets tiresome and overbearing, with the piece remaining basically unchanged for its duration. The three-part "The Medicated Turntable Variations" then closes with a few shorter segments. "A Glimpse of the Oasis" is another looped piece, but it's more effective in its ringing use of subtle melody, so it's not a jarring sort of stutter. "We're in the Wrong Piano" follows with a similarly melodic approach, though a bit more musical in its looped structure, and the same goes for "Depleted to Ruination, the Wide Shift" - sampling a percussive rhythm and quick piano line for a rather nice ending sequence. My only gripe is that by the end of the disc, the minimalism and repetition is a little bland. The more sinister vibe of "Toroidal Circulation 1 & 2" carries it very well and makes it more effective in such respects, and there's something quaint about "Depleted to Ruination, the Wide Shift" that makes it quite fitting, but the other tracks (especially "Burn the River", which is rather uninteresting to me) can feel like they're too one-sided and lacking in dimension. The layout looks pretty nice however, using tons of deep black space and abstract black and white imagery that has a dark aesthetic to it. Also included is a panel of text that, while not completely clear, has some very interesting moments. "The acategorical nature of false assessment bears an ultimately greater sadness on the subject than on those deceived: It thunders like a cobblestone road beneath the undeserving and unaware..." Not bad, a curious release from a project that I would like to hear more from in the future, but it's a few steps away from coming off as effective in my opinion. There's certainly enough substance here to warrant attention, though.
[C.I.P.]
Running time - 39:51, Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: Toroidal Circulation 1 & 2, Depleted to Ruination, the Wide Shift]
C.I.P. - http://home.earthlink.net/~vertonen/
