Par Dessus Bord sounds like a well-crafted horror score of a dark and minimal nature. Tracks are less melodic than rhythmic, looped, and electroacoustic.
The mood is ominous
Nonobstant’s Par Dessus Bord is a dark ambient album that is quite sparse and resembles, in many ways, a horror film score in the style of John Carpenter. The track “Berge Barje” consists of looped piano phrases and electroacoustic sounds. There is a good deal of repetition as the piece opens, until about ⅔ through, when a chord progression appears. The mood is ominous, portending the imminent appearance of evil.
“Bouleversement” consists of jumbled piano phrases, also looped. There are highly pitched drone samples, which may be field recordings of some kind, perhaps treated. The piece pulses and oscillates in the smooth but abstract manner of many drone pieces. Rhythm slides to and fro due to interactions of off-kilter loops.
“Ciel Incertain” is more involved with electroacoustic sounds. Reverberant stone-like sounds bounce off of one another in odd but effective ways. Behind these sounds there is a fast-based, industrial rhythm with a flanged quality. Phone-tone like electronic notes float above other sounds. This piece was my favorite from the album, and is strong, steady and powerful.
The title track brings back the piano melodies, in looped fashion. High-pitched drones also reappear, and beneath them pulse deep bass notes. As a whole, the track evokes a dark loneliness.
Overall, Par Dessus Bord sounds like a well-crafted horror score of a dark and minimal nature. Tracks are less melodic than rhythmic, looped, and electroacoustic. Like Hans Zimmer’s works, much attention has gone into creating or harvesting the sounds themselves, and they play a more central role than aspects of abstract music.
Par Dessus Bord is available on 1000+1 TiLt. [Bandcamp]
