There is a special sort of musician who revels in the infinite creative possibilities of sound. With disregard for the rules of tradition music, they collide moments of brilliant melody with stabs of atonal dissonance, force eruptions of radio static and scathing white noise erupt out from the cracks in between notes, and rein in the sputtering screeches of pure electricity. Artists in this vein come from all musical backgrounds, ranging from techno to metal to jazz, but they all share a common devotion to the freedom offered by experimentation with pure sound. I’m not entirely sure why I’ve been so enamored with this sort of music lately, maybe it’s because Tim Hecker records make such a great soundtrack for late night thunderstorms; regardless, these artists are getting a lot of play around my apartment lately, and now here they are for your listening pleasure:
Belong, “I Never Lose. Never Really,” from October Language
At times seeming like a futuristic version of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless as produced by Christian Fennesz, Belong’s debut, October Language, is an accomplished slice of power drone and cinematic ambience. Swathes of soft-as-a-feather keyboards sliced through with overdriven guitar swells swirl about the disc, while a healthy dose of distortion and electronic processing dirties up the whole mess. It’s an overwhelming specimen of a record that achieves a sound capable of filling even the furthest corners of a room, and this track, the album’s lead cut, is absolutely devastating: by far the most compelling composition of its sort to come along for quite awhile.
Tim Hecker, “Acephale,” from Mirages
On his 2004 Mirages LP, Tim Hecker abandoned the more serene ambient-glitch meditations of his previous works in favor of a more aggressive approach. It’s been called Hecker’s metal record, and that’s not too far off base. On “Acephale,” he assaults the listener with squeals of blistering guitar feedback and white noise from the opening seconds of the record, only to steadily ratchet up the volume and noise level as the track develops, scouring the façade of the pristine guitar drone that lies beneath. Is it metal? Sure, it’s just that in place of explosive double kick drums and pummeling guitar action, Hecker submerges his inner rock god deep under the sea, wreaking his sonic mayhem from the streets of Atlantis.
Growing, “Anaheim II,” from The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light
Taking their cues from groups like Sunn O))) and Earth, Growing generally strike a fine balance between the harsh and pristine. “Anaheim II,” however, opts for a more full on approach. With wave after massive wave of distorted harmonic feedback cranked to eleven, this track is one of the most physical listening experiences ever. There’s nothing more to even say. Pure sonic destruction.