Warmly recommended for lovers of lysergic icy ambient beauty with a deep pulsating edge and a terrifying, disorientating cosmic/dystopian sensibility, to be placed next to releases by Vladislav Delay, Monolake, The Orb, and Kangding Ray.
A vibrant renewal of beat-laden thrilled electronic mantras
This review is based on the 2024 vinyl LP reissue of this distinctive classic in adventurous electronic music. I was curious to give back a listen to this galvanizing microhouse / minimal post-techno classic from 1993 after having discovered the lush tellurian doom-ish ambient pieces of Outland by Pete Namlook in collaboration with Bill Laswell (recommended and available from Cold Spring). Namlook is here associated with Geir Jenssen (Biosphere) for a vibrant renewal of beat-laden thrilled electronic mantras of arctic and minimal quality.
These two pioneering artists of our digital era delivers one dense and superior groovy electronic hypnosis where Kratwerkian / Monoton-like abstract pulses meet adventurous sci-fi synthscaping waves. The atmospheres are at the same time tense, moody and unearthly, based on layers of minimal rhythms, eerily moving micro noises, bass frequencies, misty timbres, kinetic synth lines and even cinematic orchestral textures—as in the introduction of the ominous, infectious and acid techno-ish “Talk To The Stars” or in the hauntologic “The Facts of Life.”
Dynamic progressions and a wide array of ideas make this album a pleasant and immersive listening if you are not afraid of frequent electronic beats that will lead you in organic spaciousness. Clearly a missing link between re-invented experimental music for planetariums and bombastic breakbeat IDM to ravish your ears. Warmly recommended for lovers of lysergic icy ambient beauty with a deep pulsating edge and a terrifying, disorientating cosmic/dystopian sensibility, to be placed next to releases by Vladislav Delay, Monolake, The Orb, and Kangding Ray.
The Fires Of Ork (2024 Remaster) is available on Silent State. [Bandcamp]