I’m tempted to simply quote the description on Fraser’s bandcamp page
over and over, because it’s going to say everything so much better than I’m
going to ever say it. Seriously – I was going to describe this tape as pretty
much straight-up noise; Fraser says, “No conceptual garbage, no MIDI bullshit!
Just hard hitting, non-linear equation synthesis heavy algorithmic noise!”
Right? How do you improve on that? You don’t, so I’m going to let Ian do my
work for me.
I was sort of surprised at what came out of my speakers, because the
cover looks like some vaporwave nonsense. This ain’t no vaporwave nonsense! It’s
“hard hitting, non-linear equation…” – you get the point. I was totally faced
by the freakout, in fact, and I’m in the midst of healing the resulting
tinnitus as I type this. “Parallels” is ten straight minutes of assault, heavy
on the static. I think there may be transmissions from beyond the grave peeking
through, but not good ones – more like the ones in Event Horizon where everybody’s covered in blood or doing something
horrible to each other. And those intermittent high-frequency tones – if I had
a dog, he’d be howling.
“Worf Gets Denied (Again and Again…)” would be more appropriately
titled “Worf Gets Flayed with a Cheese Grater (Again and Again…).” It’s more of
the same, but there’s about two minutes of silence around the 7:30 mark. Why?
Got me. But if you want to experience the mood swings of an unsatisfied Klingon
for ten minutes, this here’s your jam.
I’m going to step out on a limb and say that I’d probably get along
with Ian M Fraser if he showed up at my book club. I like the sound of “extreme
computer music, multiverse theories, gingerbreadman map and Klingon social
justice” (again from the description – he’s on it!). We can read books that
cover these subjects and more, drink wine, and discuss how the implications of
potential realities of theoretical physics relate to the global abuses of
power, and the intersection of these things on the ground, and what we as mere
people can do about it. All while operating belt sanders in a scrap yard. Best
book club ever!
And I love Star Trek, so thanks,
IMF, for the Worf reference. I’ll leave you with this ridiculous video in which
some geniuses dubbed over Trek scenes,
resulting in Picard and crew saying very silly things. Because why not? Apple
juice, at half price.
--Ryan Masteller
Posts
