Appropriately (or inappropriately, depending on your POV) I started listening the latest batch of tapes from the Oregonian curators of all-trips synth, Field Hymns, while reading an article about the work of H.P. Lovecraft. HPL is a writer whom I know nothing about other than recognizing his name and I remember reading about how Metallica used one of his stories for inspiration on Ride the Lightning. All of this has little to do with the music actually heard on the tapes of Cremator, Black Hat, or Plvs Vltra, but the mood has been set in my listening arena.
Cremator's epic Alpha Ralpha Boulevard is perfect for where I'm at and for fans of synth arpeggios and endless sound waves drifting in/around your vibe. Field Hymns writes this tantalizing introduction to the album, "Cremator's new album title comes from a tale about a sudden, radical shift from a controlling, benevolent, and sterile society to one of individuality and danger ruled by an elite group called the Instrumentality. Now picture the soundtrack circa 1979 by Klaus Schulze and filmed by Jean Painlevé." How could anyone NOT be intrigued by this description alone? Jamming the tape is even better.
Black Hat's Covalence is a work of depth and details. Its almost difficult to enjoy on first listen because the mood it creates is intense. Half formed musical sounds fight for space amongst beats & brittle pulsing clacks, scary, but good.
Yo-Yo Blue by Plvs Vltra is the least like the other two in this trio of tapes. Collage and improvised sound explosions are the MO here. There's a lot going on sound wise on this album. J-pop snippets clash with synth chords that clash with mumbled dream speech. Sometimes the pace is frantic, while at other times I'm drifting internally, the sound of my own inner-voice replacing the music. This is a fun tape to experience.
I never did finish that Lovecraft article. After four or so paragraphs I was completely absorbed into the atmosphere put together by another solid batch of Field Hymns tapes.
Buy and Listen HERE.
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