(Mood Starters) is a dark, hypnotic, and eerie techno-ish industrial album surrounded by dystopian themes of a humanity trapped in an uncertain future, standing before unspeakable malefic forces.
Emotionally vibrant, cinematic, propulsive, and ritualized
A new colossal release for the highly productive indie label Mahorka Records, whose name is well known and respected by lovers of challenging, plural electronic music, from lush ambient soundscapes to electro-acoustic wizardry and post-industrial assaults. This release is a collaborative effort between the legendary industrial act Brainquake (master of industrial tape recordings back in the ’90s) and BedouinDrone (a regular sound art project with a few inspirational albums available from Mahorka, whose material is also occasionally reviewed on Igloo). In this mutual release, the two projects propose an impeccable dystopian industrial soundtrack with eloquence, class, and sparse sonic experimentation.
The general atmosphere is emotionally vibrant, cinematic, propulsive, and ritualized, bringing to the fore bleak, meandering textures, mechanical pulses, and suspenseful sonic effects, with some beatific, ethereal moments as in the ecstatic “Flood.” More cyber-like, post-techno sensuous tones appear from time to time, giving the ensemble an alluring and menacing night-city mood, as in the vaporous and dreamily foreboding “Maelström.” Harsher and colder ambiences also catch the attention, as in the uncanny, fractured, and sinister “Pressure” and its punchy, minimal mechanical grooves.
A feeling of fear and ominous danger is always perceptible; it easily immerses the listener in dark futuristic mythologies, at the heart of science fiction universes created by writers such as Zelazny, Heinlein, Hodgson, or Ballard. The neo-tribal electronic elements are also subtly combined with more abstract textures and fractal abrasive noises, such as in the obsessional “Tongue.” The album closes with the soothing and mysteriously enthralling, then bizarre, club-oriented atmospheric “Night Move.”
All in all, a dark, hypnotic, and eerie techno-ish industrial album surrounded by dystopian themes of a humanity trapped in an uncertain future, standing before unspeakable malefic forces. Highly recommended for fans of heavy electronic tunes from Michael Idehall, Holotrop, Hypnoskull, Kcin, S.E.T.I., and First Law.
Mood Starters is available on Mahorka. [Bandcamp]
Related posts ::
Brainquake + Sven Phalanx :: From The Oblivion Lounge (Mahorka)
Brainquake :: Excess Denied (Mahorka) — Double video premiere
Abu Ama + BedouinDrone :: Dawlat Lībiyyā (Mahorka)
V/A :: Making Things Happen: Netlabel Day 10th Anniversary Compilation (Mahorka)
Cognition Delay :: Dazzled By The Dark (Mahorka)
