| A pure and atmospheric noise/ambient record. Though largely amorphous and faceless, it rmanages to retain a thematic clarity and beauty like most Hecker releases, but lacks the structural rpretense of his later records. It doesn't try to dazzle with compositions or "progressions" that ryou'll find on later records, but opts for a steady tempo. Evokes feelings of solitude that tend rtowards longing and loneliness. It feels noisy, yet quiet and peaceful at the same time, demanding rlittle of the listener due to the sound palette, except in a few moments of harsher noise (Acephale, rBalkanize-You).rIt could arguably be called a transitional work, since it still strongly resembles Radio Amor in its ruse of static and noise. But where Radio Amor (aside from the Piano Keys) uses static and noise ras the primary carrier of the "music" (e.g. 7000 miles, Azure Azure, (They Call Me) Jimmy), this rrelease tends toward hiding the music beneath the layers of static and noise (e.g. Aerial Light-rPollution Orange, Incurably Optimistic)... something he'd take further with Harmony in Ultraviolet, ras the name suggests.rMy biggest knock on the record is that it lacks any true standout or wow moments. When the first rhalf of the record is ephemeral vignettes slowly passing by, the larger tracks on the end can feel rdisjoint from the rest of the record.rAlbum art is a great fit. Recommended listening in the dead of night. |
