This LP is still within the realm of shoegaze epic doom, with layers of sounds drifting in and out of the music like sheets in a sonic wind, building up to form intense atmospheres, sometimes imposing and sometimes subtle and reflective, only to fall away to leave eerie, empty eddying sounds.
[Listen] Heavy, that’s the word that springs instantly to mind when referring to the aptly titled Heavy Weather LP by Terminal Sound System. And that takes into account all the traditional connotations of the word from its 1970’s bearded guitar driven origins right up to the way we call dubstep heavy. This LP is heavy. It drenches you in sound, but a sound that seems to be almost tangible, physically doing things to you. I don’t want to give the impression that it’s a one trick pony though, it also has a deftness that allows it to operate on various emotional levels, weaving through sadness, rage, anger, hope and many others whilst successfully combining them to offer a listening experience that is absorbing and strangely effecting.
Formed in Melbourne at the turn of the century, Terminal Sound System began as a vehicle for Skye Klein, half of Relapse Records cult doom/noise duo HALO, to explore his interest in experimental electronic music and Dub. Heavy weather is the ninth album from Mr Klein under this moniker, and is the culmination of an original doom/shoegaze starting point to this highly evolved and complex sound. The influences include electronica (a genre so broad as to be almost meaningless these days), dub, rock, grunge, industrial, ambient, drum and bass, hip hop… these are some which come to mind whilst listening, but I’m sure you could make a list as long as your arm if you had the inclination.
Essentially though, this LP is still within the realm of shoegaze epic doom, with layers of sounds drifting in and out of the music like sheets in a sonic wind, building up to form intense atmospheres, sometimes imposing and sometimes subtle and reflective, only to fall away to leave eerie, empty eddying sounds. Underpinning all this is a consistently well produced rhythmic backbone, solid but with plenty of attention to detail, the frequencies are all just right, nothing competing too much with anything else, and peppered here and there with little flicks and rolls which pull you in closer to the music as little snatches intrigue and call out for inspection. There is plenty of variation between the tracks and within them, moving from driving rock feel to twinkly electronica to monster bass with aplomb.
A very well produced collection of music, emotive and immersive. If you have a free half hour and a pair of decent headphones, you could do a lot worse then plunging into this world for a while and see where it takes you. In fact, I insist that you do so.
Heavy Weather is out now on Denovali. [Listen]
