Nick Theriault’s first release for Frozen Empire Media was a solid entry into the
rhythmic noise genre; while he didn’t turn the sound on its ear, he did deliver a
very solid foray into the world of pounding noise. With his follow-up, Next To
Departed, he begins to weave the thunder and static into other genres.
Next To Departed is a skittering thing: constantly on the move, leaping from one
beat structure to the next, leaving nothing but a blast of static in its wake.
Voices chase on another through the mix like leaking windows into other places and
cultures. “To My Left, Something Is Right” is a sleight of hand, a four on the
floor dance track which bleats with oversaturated caustic percussion and EBM synth
lines while pumping its hands in the air and raising the roof. Just as you’re ready
to really get down, an ambient interlude sweeps through the room, freezing the mood.
Orchestral ambience strains to break free of the eruptive motion of “Next to
Departed” while “A Distant Exit” flirts with the fractured 8-bit fusion of
Tarmvred’s Viva 6581. “My Opening Farewell” weaves and ululates with space melodies
like a soundtrack accompanying a space capsule landing on the hot and torrid surface
of Venus.
Theriault is still banging his rhythms hard, though, don’t let me distract you from
that detail (and “Seven Days” certainly stands up to the best tradition of noise
stompers). Next To Departed crackles and sparks with the furious energy of rhythmic
noise but doesn’t lose itself in the mind-numbing thunder of static repetition.
Theriault has places to go and he’s dragging noise with him. Next to Departed is
the sort of caustic and groovy cocktail that’ll be the house drink in the
cyber-industrial gothic clubs.
Next To Departed is out now on Frozen Empire Media
