Casually maneuvering electronics, post-industrial, shoegaze and sublime noise in a polished collection of elegant distortion, Queue stays on track without falling into the surplus pile of mediocrity.
[Release page] Following up from last years I Will Wait, a virtual sandstorm of intricate post-industrialized fragments, scraped melodic movements and pensive rhythms, Tanner Volz brings together a collection of musical entities remixing a broad range of Anklebiter tracks. While it may appear at the onset that Tympanik Audio have been loitering at n5-headquarters (or vice-versa), it’s no surprise that an album of this caliber would evolve and merge both labels that share parallel mission statements. Tanner Volz, after-all, has been involved with each US-based imprint, articulating side-projects including recent video productions, photography, a release (as Anklebiter) on n5’s Enpeg digital and previous liaisons with the now-defunct ML band. Memories of n5MD and Merck also come to mind as they interlaced their roster of talent over the years; this time the projection is a new(er) generation of musicologists set to recreate Anklebiter’s music. This collaboration of like-minded individuals is queued up with Tympanik Audio, yet the continuity between each track evenly represents n5MD’s emotional sentiments. The result, as might be expected, is that Queue dives into curiously turbulent water. Let’s investigate further…
Reviewing such a mixture of soundscapes can be a daunting task. Nine musicians do what they do best with a couple of new tracks presented by Anklebiter himself; the crossbred styles manage to converge without sounding like a haphazard basket of gems. Access to Arasaka pushes low-pressure waves with his rendition of “University.” Keef Baker’s “Frigid” remix is anything but frozen in time, it wobbles with a gentle fury and a deconstructive slam while SubtractiveLAD takes on a more direct and melancholic gesture. Jatun’s “Absolution Is A Plushtoy” washes over like a digital shower of organized noise. Irulan’s “Accessible” doesn’t veer too far from its initial template; the addition of stone-washed vocals adds a lush completeness. Boy Is Fiction and Dirk Geiger remix “I Will Wait,” both placed back-to-back on Queue; the former introduces crunch, fizz and white-noise to an already moving piece while the latter remolds its core and defragments the beats into a smoother ambient propulsion. “One Three Two,” reorganized by sound-sculptor Dryft (aka Mike Cadoo, who also happens to lend a hand on the alluring cover-art), takes Anklebiter to a mysterious place; full of spacious percussive bursts, flowing water and emotional gravity, “One Three Two” is an instant, resurrecting classic. Lights Out Asia’s version of “Nothing Will Happen Tomorrow” sways in the background with raw energy-drones echoing the closure of Queue with a certain peace of mind. Not forgetting Anklebiter’s “By Design” and “OTT,” both emit what could very well be the beginning of the end of time; extracting a darkened sliver that is magnetized by its percussive focus, melodies are drenched in ashes of audio-flux without being given a chance to breath. Queue is a broadened stroke of genius, reinterpreted in all the right places.
The daunting task of describing Queue now remains in the hands and ears of those who accept its trajectory. Rest assured that each sonic re-creator massages the senses and leaves you in a state of puzzlement. Casually maneuvering electronics, post-industrial, shoegaze and sublime noise in a polished collection of elegant distortion, Queue stays on track without falling into the surplus pile of mediocrity.
Queue is out now on Tympanik Audio. [Release page]
Anklebiter: Frigid (Keef Baker remix) [Queue – Tympanik Audio] by Tympanik Audio
