On this seven track album, one can easily decipher that a uniform cohesion between each piece is very well orchestrated. There are moments of heavy echoes, broken beats fluttering in the background, rugged rhythms manipulated by ethereal bass lines, and eerie melodic strands coalesce throughout.
With the premise that UU is a concept album based on radioactive chemical elements, the prolific Signalstoerung (part of the Global Noise Movement and Adventurous Music) unleashes viceral electronic beauty once again for Hymen. Recall that 2018’s S was described as “confounding yet focused, S evolves and breaks down, its ebb and flow a muddy electronic wasteland”—UU floats in a similar stratosphere. Because of the extreme instability of these elements, some exist only for split seconds—nevertheless they release enormous power during their short lifespan. This, taken from the liner notes of the new release is important to note.
On this seven track album, one can easily decipher that a uniform cohesion between each piece is very well orchestrated. There are moments of heavy echoes, broken beats fluttering in the background, rugged rhythms manipulated by ethereal bass lines, and eerie melodic strands coalesce throughout. These loosely connected pieces are both daunting and emotionally detailed (ref. “UUS,” and “UUQ” are two examples). “UUB,” on the other hand, elicits undulating low-end amid slow motion, downtempo percussion and drifting melodies to hold it together. This is where Signalstoerung expands the proverbial envelope—the use of low-pitched frequencies counteracted by delicate harmonies further opens the soundscapes that evolve on UU. If you recall seminal albums by Kattoo, Einoma, and Scorn—it’s quite easy to parallel Signalstoerung’s style to these ruggedly blissful soundtracks from another dimension.
And just as this album opens itself to mysteriously fluid dark-electronic trajectories (some might observe as illbient), each piece is its own unique sonic element filled with character and control—ultimately connected by its audible siblings to form a large magnetically-charged bond.
UU is available on Hymen.
