(02.09.08) Dark Meadows is James Keeler’s fourth album for Ad Noiseam under the
Wilt moniker and the first as a band since the addition of guitarist Dan
Hall. Hall brings with him a new aspect to the Wilt sound, both
literally and figuratively. Keeler’s rumbling bassy drones and dark
ambient intensity are still there but Hall brings new textures and
nuances with Keeler moving away from the noise experimentation of the
past and focusing more on the atmospheric side of his work.
Dark Meadows is an album of dense, multi-layered sound and complexity,
constructed meticulously by Keeler and Hall. On one hand there are
Keeler’s deep ominous drones and carefully crafted textures and on the
other Hall’s guitar deepens the mood and sometimes counterbalancing it.
Where Keeler excels is with his minimal electronic pieces where the
electronics are sparse and augmented by field recordings to heighten to
mood to increase intensity to the maximum. Hall often adds to the
tension with carefully chosen guitar chords that only add to the air of
anxiety Keeler crafts. Together they make a heady mix of deep
atmospheric music that tells its own story and paints its own picture.
At times however, Hall counteracts the sombre mood by offering a glimpse
of light in the murky darkness of Keeler’s often dense electronic
soundscapes. Dark Meadows is not just about ominous nightmarish
soundscapes, there is real beauty in Keeler and Hall’s work, sometimes
(but not often) veering off into noise experimentation. “The Devil’s
Rainbow” for example is a disturbing five minute foray into static
drenched drones, guitar feedback and noise experimentation. At other
times the mood is distinctly less intense, such as Hall’s acoustic
guitar based track “For Blake” and acoustic versus electric guitar
experiment “Forever End Credits.”
A recurring theme on Dark Meadows is that of the desert, the chorus of
insect noises and the featureless landscape. “Harmonic Convergence” and
“Moonchild” for example both prominently feature such insect noises; the
former showcasing Hall’s acoustic guitar melodies and the latter with
droning swathes of texture lapsing into acoustic guitar almost as if it
were two separate tracks mixed together. Where Dark Meadows comes into
its own is when the music is minimal and Keeler and Hall’s influences
play off each other, one enhancing the intensity and feeling of the
other. When this happens and is allowed to slowly unfold the results are
some of the most captivating on the album. This is probably best
illustrated on the title track and “Dead Electronics,” both of which are
amongst the most minimal on the album but perhaps the most effective.
Dark Meadows marks a new phase in the life of Wilt as a project and
brings new influences to the mix of what was formerly Keeler’s vision.
It could be almost a soundtrack to a movie, reflecting the imagery, mood
and feeling of the various situations depicted. Varying from absorbing
minimal ambience to noisy droning outbursts and on to acoustic guitar
melodies, Dark Meadows creates a wide range of atmospheres without
veering too far from the general theme of the album as a whole.
Dark Meadows is out now on Ad Noiseam. [Purchase
